Disney News

All the exciting and colorful worlds of the Disney•Pixar pals – from “Toy Story,” “a bug’s life,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Cars” and “Ratatouille” – come to life in the all-new Pixar Play Parade in Disney’s California Adventure® Park as part of The Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Disneyland® Resort.

Characters from every Disney•Pixar motion picture will appear in the magical immersive parade, which will invite you to take part in the playfulness of a whirling, spinning, fun-for-all animated playground. The parade features acrobatics, bungees, high-energy choreography, interactive surprises and lively bubble and water effects.

Pixar Play Parade features a dozen parade floats up to two stories tall, themed to Disney•Pixar movies and equipped with fun and surprising movement and effects. Encouraging everyone to dance, play and clap along, Mike, Sulley and their monster buddies from “Monsters, Inc.” will lead the procession.

Next up is a flowerbed of hopping, swinging bugs: the colony from “a bug’s life.” Then “The Incredibles” will zoom into view, superhero style, aboard amazing hovercrafts. But watch out! The sinister Omnidroid is on the loose and baby Jack-Jack could burst into flames at any moment!

From there it’s into the bubbling world of Dory, Marlin, Crush, Bloat and the colorful underwater friends from “Finding Nemo,” who invite everyone to “play in schools” (schools of fish, that is). “Ratatouille’s” Remy and Emile are serving up fun, too, turning their kitchen into a super soapy pool of creativity with kids and families as the main ingredients.

Woody and the “Toy Story” gang arrive next to encourage guests to kick up their heels, while Buzz Lightyear and the Little Green Aliens celebrate just how universal play can be, in any galaxy. Finally, after the parade has been revving up guests throughout the route, lovable Mater and his flashy buddy Lightning McQueen from “Cars” will bring up the rear.

Pixar Play Parade is now presented daily in Disney’s California Adventure Park as part of The Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Disneyland Resort.

It’s time to swing and sway as the Block Party Bash is under way. The wildest, most interactive parade in Disney history has hit the streets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™. And over 20 favorite Disney·Pixar characters will be part of the playful procession.

This non-stop musical block party doubles as a fun-filled interactive street spectacular, complete with rockin’ retro tunes, incredible acrobatics and never-ending surprises.

With the beat of vibrant pop tunes, Block Party Bash includes appearances by some of the most popular Disney·Pixar characters including Woody and Buzz Lightyear from “Toy Story,” Mike and Sulley from “Monsters, Inc.” and Mr. and Mrs. Incredible from “The Incredibles.” From beginning to end, this parade is non-stop entertainment for everyone. The parade features floats with spectacular props custom-made trampoline units, and dance stages which will dazzle you.

Choreographed sections immerse guests into interaction with the “toys,” screaming with the “monsters” and bee-bopping with the “bugs.” The energetic performances are bursting with dancers, acrobats, jumping stilts and a caravan of scooters that fill the area with an awe-inspiring array of visuals and sound sensations.

So live out your dreams like never before during The Year of a Million Dreams celebration, and immerse themselves in Block Party Bash at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Inside the Epcot® icon, remarkable changes have taken place. A re-imagined Spaceship Earth, presented by Siemens, re-launches this month, combining the magic of the iconic attraction’s time-travel adventure into the past with a new finale that provides Guests the opportunity to imagine their futures.

On a trip through time inside the Spaceship Earth attraction, Guests discover how each generation of mankind has invented the future for the next generation, and how the spirit of innovation has moved people from the caves to the cosmos.

Enhancements to the time-travel attraction encompass changes to each of the ride scenes. New show scenes were added to the attraction’s story along with new lighting effects, costumes, set decoration, narration and musical score.

This adventure through time leads ultimately to the very top of Spaceship Earth’s geodesic dome, where Guests arrive at the present. The time travel adventure is enhanced through new, interactive touch screens installed aboard each “time machine” that enable Guests to create their own visions of the future.

As Guests disembark the time travel experience, they are invited to visit “Project Tomorrow: Inventing the World of Tomorrow,” where interactive exhibits bring to life the ideas and technologies Siemens is developing to help make the world a better place for the future.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will create an “American Idol” attraction that will bring the television and pop culture phenomenon to life at the Walt Disney World® Resort. The joint announcement was made by Jay Rasulo, chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts; Simon Fuller, CEO of 19 Entertainment; and Keith Hindle, executive vice president of FremantleMedia Licensing.

The attraction, slated to debut in late 2008, will be located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios^TM and will follow the model of the high-energy show. Disney Guests will be able to experience the challenge of auditioning, the rush of performing on stage in competition, or the thrill of judging the performances in a live interactive entertainment setting with all the glitz and glamour of the distinctive “American Idol” set.

That experience will include an audition process, open to all who register, where Guests perform “live” in front of a Disney’s Hollywood Studios producer to be cast in a theme park show. After backstage preparation – working with a vocal coach, hair and make-up – it’s lights up and showtime in front of a “live” audience and a panel of judges.

Guest performers with the highest votes will compete in an end-of-day Grand Finale show at the Walt Disney World Resort, and the winner of the Grand Finale show will receive a guaranteed reservation for a future regional stadium audition — to ensure no waiting in long lines. But when it comes down to the television show auditions, everyone is treated equal.

“Millions of people have imagined themselves standing on the ‘American Idol’ stage,” said Rasulo. “We’re excited that we will be bringing this dream to life every day at Walt Disney World.”

The coming “American Idol” attraction joins an all-star lineup at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Among the new adventures debuting in 2008: Block Party Bash, an interactive and moving Disney•Pixar spectacle filling the theme park streets, and Toy Story Mania!, a 3-D interactive ride-through video game starring popular Disney•Pixar “Toy Story” characters.