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.
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.
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.
Walt Disney World pet resort opens
0 CommentsThe Best Friends Pet Resort, an animal boarding facility, opens at Walt Disney World. The luxury resort has VIP suites, play yards and other amenities for dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters and more. Guests can drop off their pets at the resort while spending a day in the parks. Different kinds of animals are kept in separate areas, and certain activities—like the water park—are offered only to dogs.
Thomas Smith:
And yes, bedtime stories with staff will be included as one of the special features at the 50,000-square-foot resort. You’ll also be able to choose from a list of la carte activities for your pet, including one-on-one play times and social playgroup with other dogs and ice cream time.
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.
Vidia character greeting
0 CommentsVidia, 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.
Via Napoli opens
0 CommentsThe Via Napoli restaurant opens at EPCOT in the Italy Pavilion. It is the second Italian restaurant in the park. Via Napoli serves wood-fired pizza along with appetizers, salads, pasta dishes and Italian desserts. The restaurant is a table-service establishment with a 300-seat capacity.
Created by the Patina Restaurant Group’s CEO Nick Valenti, the menu is based on his travels in Southern Italy and his time developing and overseeing the successful Naples 45 Ristorante e Pizzeria in New York. Valenti spent time in Naples studying the art of dough, crust, sauce and oven temperatures at the famous pizzerias Da Michele and Trianon.
Announces trekking adventure
0 CommentsDisney 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.
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.
Sign language interpretation
0 CommentsSign language interpretation services are offered at select attractions, shows and other locations throughout the Disneyland Resort. Interpreters are present at Disneyland park on Mondays and Saturdays and at California Adventure on Sundays and Fridays. Guests do not have to make arrangements in advance, but it is suggested that they call or text Guest Relations two weeks in advance to confirm the interpreter schedule.
In addition to complimentary sign language interpretation, the Resort also has available assistive listening and handheld captioning devices for guests with hearing disabilities.
World of Color premieres
The World of Color show premieres at Disney’s California Adventure park. The show integrates 1,200 water fountains, video projections, pyrotechnics and other light and water effects. The show is set to a backdrop of classic Disney music. The event takes place after dark over the water.
You will get to experience some of your favorite Disney stories – from the charming to the adventurous – in a magical, new way.
Hosts World Oceans Day event
0 CommentsDisney hosts a World Oceans Day party at EPCOT. The event takes place during the day inside The Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion. Several booths are set up at which guests can learn information about ocean conservation, and the booths have different activities to keep guests engaged.
In one of several special activities, families can learn how coral reefs form, what wildlife live there, and the threats that face coral reefs today.
Electrical parade returns to Walt Disney World
0 CommentsThe Main Street Electrical Parade returns to Walt Disney World Resort as part of the Summer Nightastic celebration. The parade, which has performed back and forth between Disneyland and Walt Disney World for decades, receives a makeover with new floats, updated audio technology, and new LED lights.
Disney Parks Social Media Director Thomas Smith:
Tinker Bell will lead the parade waving from the basket of a magical balloon aboard a new float.
Glow Fest opens
Glow Fest, a nighttime light show, opens at California Adventure park at Disneyland in California. The show starts in Sun Plaza at 6 p.m. and continues in the Hollywood Backlot area of the park, and it lasts until the park closes. Glow Fest is part of the Summer Nightastic celebration, and it’s meant to complement the World of Color water show on the other side of the park.
Glow Fest begins with the sound of drums and powerful rhythms that will draw you to Sunshine Plaza. An electric energy fills the evening air. As the sun goes down, colors burst to life and music starts to play from a brightly-lit stage that seems to glow. Dancers and world music performers create a fun vibe that you will only find at Disney California Adventure park.
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.
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.”
Baby goats born at Disneyland
Five baby goats are born within days of each other at Circle D Corral at Disneyland park in Anaheim, California. Three of the kids—named Squishy, Dory and Pearl—are born to mother Gadget, and the other two kids—named Stitch and Lilo—are born to mother Mulan.
You can see several animals, including two more expectant goats in Big Thunder Ranch at Disneyland park, and you’ll be able to see the baby goats at Big Thunder Ranch in a couple of weeks.
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.
Central stroller rental
A stroller and wheelchair rental area opens at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The shop is located in the courtyard in between Disneyland park and Disney’s California Adventure park, so guests can save time by renting a stroller or wheelchair in one central location.
This means you can rent what you need BEFORE you enter the park. You can even team up with one of your family members and have them wait in the park line while you go to the stroller shop.
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.