Announces Halloween cavalcade
Disney announces the Mickey’s Costume Party cavalcade, a small processional celebration added to Mickey’s Halloween Party, a separate ticketed nighttime event at Disneyland. The cavalcade features characters in costume, a themed float and more.
I’ve also heard that the upbeat, spooky music will have you dancing, jumping, shaking and maybe even howling along as we celebrate the magic of make-believe and spooky Halloween fun.
Winnie the Pooh attraction reopens
The Winnie the Pooh ride and gift shop reopen at Walt Disney World. Both the loading area of the ride and the shop, which sells apparel and toys, include redesigned features and theming.
And beginning Thanksgiving week, young guests will start their adventure through the Hundred Acre Wood by jumping with Tigger, crawling through Eeyore’s house and playing in Rabbit’s garden before they board the attraction
Disney Dream departs on maiden voyage
The Disney Dream, one of the Disney Cruise Line’s ships, departs on its maiden voyage to the Bahamas. Guests on board are treated to exclusive parties and a fireworks show at sea.
Whether you’re a toddler, teenager or grownup, there’s something for everyone on the Disney Dream. From fun clubs for kids and teens to nightclubs and lunges exclusively for adults, the ship is a terrific mix of imagination, innovation and pixie dust.
Music added to Space Mountain
Disney adds a themed soundtrack to the Space Mountain attraction in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Whereas the ride was silent before, it now features music and space-like sound effects as guests experience the roller coaster.
“Starry-O-Phonic Sound” compliments a slew of enhancements that debuted on Space Mountain last year, including new lighting, storyline elements and updated decor.
Celebrates World Turtle Day
Disney’s Animal Kingdom park hosts a Turtle Day party and celebration, in addition to the company’s other wildlife conservation efforts. From the morning to the afternoon, guests catch a train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch to learn about turtles and tortoises and even get an up-close look at some live turtles.
Turtle Day activities include games that help families learn what threats turtles face in the wild, find out if they are smarter than a turtle, and experience what it’s like to find food with “turtle sight.”
Donates money to protect forests
Disney donates $7 million to support forest conservation efforts, including protection against deforestation in the Amazon, the Congo and throughout the United States. The company partners with Conservation International and The Conservation Fund to support a variety of related causes.
These efforts supplement what we are already doing across the company to cut down on fossil fuel use, to switch to cleaner forms of energy and to educate kids and adults alike about being better environmental stewards.
D23 celebrates first anniversary
D23, Disney’s official fan club, celebrates its first anniversary at Disneyland. D23 members from around the world attend the after-hours party to eat treats, enjoy the attractions, and hear announcements about the future of D23.
After Disneyland theme park closed to guests on Wednesday night, D23 Members were welcomed into the happiest land of all with a burst of pyrotechnics from Sleeping Beauty Castle. From there, guests—who had traveled from 25 different states as well as from places like New Zealand and Japan to be at the event—crossed the drawbridge to enjoy the event.
Offers knight makeover
The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, a salon for girls and boys at Walt Disney World, offers the Knight Package for boys ages three and up. The fairy-godmothers-in-training apply colorful gel and confetti to guests’ hair and give them a toy sword and shield.
Your transformation will prepare you for far off adventures filled with slaying dragons and stopping mischievous doers in their tracks.
Cruise line voted #1
Disney Cruise Line is rated the #1 large-ship cruise line for families by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. This is the fourth consecutive win for the cruise line. Disney Cruise Line has been honored as one of the top five cruise lines for eight years in a row.
Our cast and crew members are passionate about surprising our guests with a magical experience at sea, so it means a great deal to us that we have exceeded your expectations.
Celebrates Elephant Appreciation Day
Disney celebrates Elephant Appreciation Day at Animal Kingdom. During this day at the park, guests can learn about elephant dietary habits, create elephant-themed crafts, play games with a pretend elephant trunk and more.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom will celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day with a host of activities for children and families at Rafiki’s Planet Watch.
Big Top Souvenirs opens
Big Top Souvenirs opens at Magic Kingdom in Florida. The shop sells treats like caramel corn and cotton candy, in addition to storybook-themed clothing and toys. The store is decorated with a circus theme.
Big Top Souvenirs is incredibly detailed with beautifully ornate designs that capture the golden age of the circus perfectly.
Annual pass payment plan
Disney announces a monthly payment plan for annual passes. Florida residents can buy an annual pass to Walt Disney World with a down payment equal to the cost of a one-day ticket. The rest of the cost is split up among 12 monthly payments.
What are the benefits of being a Passholder? The list is long but most importantly, you have access to Disney “magic” all year — attractions, characters and events.
Duffy debuts at parks
Duffy the Disney bear debuts at EPCOT and California Adventure. Duffy is Mickey Mouse’s teddy bear, and he can be seen in the parks for meet and greet experiences. A line of Duffy-themed merchandise, including teddy bears, doll clothes and keychains, also debuts in the parks.
Duffy is not just your typical stuffed bear – he’s Mickey’s bear and he resembles his owner. Duffy’s face is shaped like Mickey’s, he has Mickey heads on his paws, and he has a very unique birthmark on his hip.
Donates bobsled to museum
Disneyland donates an old ride vehicle to the National Roller Coaster Museum. The ride vehicle comes from the Matterhorn Bobsleds roller coaster, which received new vehicles along with its refurbishment.
We’re delighted to provide these pieces of Disneyland Resort history to the National Roller Coaster Museum, an organization that celebrates our industry. The Matterhorn bobsled and California Screamin’ signage represent two of our most beloved attractions, from the first tubular steel-tracked roller coaster in the world to one of the longest and most thrilling.
Karamell Küche opens
The Karamell Küche bakery and store opens at EPCOT in Florida. The bakery is sponsored by the Werther’s candy company, and it sells treats made with Werther’s caramel. Guests can watch cast members as they make the caramel treats.
A fun fact about this unique shop is that it is the only freestanding retail location for Werther’s in the world, and not only will carry items made fresh daily but a variety of specialty merchandise and gifts that are only available at Epcot.
Vidia character greeting
Vidia, a friend of Tinker Bell’s and a fellow fairy, begins participating in meet and greet interactions with guests at Walt Disney World. Vidia can be found in Pixie Hollow at Magic Kingdom, along with Tinker Bell and the other fairy characters from the franchise.
Vidia is one of the stars of the upcoming movie Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue set to be released on Blu-ray, DVD and via movie download on September 21.
Elephant born at Animal Kingdom
A female baby elephant is born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park. This is the fifth elephant born at Animal Kingdom and the second baby born to elephant mother Donna. The calf’s name is Luna, and she weighs 288 pounds at birth. Including Luna, thirteen elephants in total live at Animal Kingdom.
Elephant births are among the most amazing and complicated processes in the animal kingdom. Our animal care team has worked with Donna attentively throughout the course of her pregnancy. At this point, we’re optimistic for the calf’s likelihood of survival and are thrilled that both Donna and her calf are doing well.
International sales center
Disney announces the opening of the first international sales center. The center is located at Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, and it informs guests about the benefits of the Disney Vacation Club and allows them to purchase membership to the club.
The 15,000-square-foot interactive center will give guests a peek at Disney Vacation Club resort hotels as well as other vacation offerings Disney offers. Guests can see for themselves a two-bedroom model of the vacation home accommodations that DVC members and families can expect to find on the island of O’ahu at Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas, Ko Olina, Hawai’i.
Announces trekking adventure
Disney announces a unique experience for quests at Animal Kingdom. The trek allows guests to hike across the Harambe Reserve, home to many African-native animals, as well as the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride. The hikes will be guided by a cast member.
During the excursions, you’ll be able to spend more time observing the wildlife on the savannah and have a chance to learn about the animals and their behaviors from one of our Disney guides. Adventurers will also trek through an undeveloped forest area of the Harambe Reserve and then board a unique vehicle specially designed for the rest of the quest.
Wins entertainment award
Disney’s Toy Story Mania attraction wins an award from the Themed Entertainment Association for Outstanding Achievement for an Attraction. The ride appears in both California Adventure and Hollywood Studios. This is the 34th TEA award for Disney overall and the ninth award for Disney in the attraction category.
In case you haven’t had a chance to experience the attraction, it’s a high-energy, immersive, ride-through adventure that lets you test your skills at a variety of carnival midway games hosted by the characters from the Disney·Pixar Toy Story films.
TEA praised the attraction as “a suite of many technical and creative innovations.