Disney News

Author: Vikki

  • Disney+ Subscribers Offered 25% Off Selected Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

    Disney+ Subscribers Offered 25% Off Selected Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

    For the first time, Disney+ subscribers can save on stays at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels most nights July 8 through Sept. 30, 2022.

    Disney+ is known for bringing hours of entertainment to your homes, and with our Disney Resorts Collection, you can immerse yourself in some of your favorite Disney tales.

    When it is time to head out to the theme parks, you can step right into the worlds of some of your favorite Disney+ movies or shows. Join Chef Remy in a culinary caper during Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT, help the Resistance infiltrate the First Order in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and enjoy more exciting experiences across all four theme parks. Plus, when staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you can enjoy ease, convenience and special benefits as you can see below:

    • More Time in the Parks: During the 50th Anniversary celebration, Disney Resort hotel guests can enjoy 30 minutes of early entry to any theme park every day! Plus, guests staying in Disney Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts can also experience extended evening hours on select nights in select theme parks. For both of these options, guests will need valid theme park admission park reservation and Resort ID.
    • Get Around with Ease: Complimentary transportation options, such as the world-famous monorail, Disney Skyliner and water taxis make it easy and fun to travel around. Some Disney Resort hotels are even within walking distance of a theme park.
    • Magic Around Every Corner: The fun is seemingly endless at a Disney Resort hotel, where you can enjoy themed pools with waterslides, poolside activities and delicious dining experiences. You may even spot some familiar Disney friends palling around.

    For more information, including how to make sure your Disney+ subscription is linked to your My Disney Experience account in order to book, visit DisneyWorld.com/DisneyPlus.

  • BREAKING: Shanghai Disneyland Temporarily Closed due to COVID-19 Investigation

    BREAKING: Shanghai Disneyland Temporarily Closed due to COVID-19 Investigation

    Shanghai Disney Resort is under temporary lockdown on Sunday evening as the resort was cooperating with pandemic investigation in another province.

    “We have temporarily suspended entry into Shanghai Disneyland and Disneytown, and some attractions inside the park will also temporarily stop operating. Outdoor entertainment will continue as scheduled,” the resort said in a statement on Sunday.

    The Shanghai government issued an emergency notice on Sunday night, saying all those who had been to the park on October 30-31 must report to their communities and workplaces, and should immediately conduct nucleic acid tests at the nearest medical facilities.

    They should stay at home for at least the first two days, and conduct nucleic acid tests on the first, second, seventh and fourteenth day, according to the notice.

    Guests who are inside the park on Sunday night have to undergo nucleic acid testing at the exit when leaving the resort.

    They will also be required to undergo another nucleic acid test after 24 hours.

    If both tests are confirmed to be negative, then guests will be asked to follow a 12-day self-health monitoring, the resort said.

    Shanghai’s Metro operator also suspended operation at its Disney Resort station on Line 11 by 8:15pm. People are not allowed to enter or exit the station and passengers on the train can not get off. The terminal of the Metro Line 11 will be changed to Kangxin Highway station.

    Source: Shine

  • Demolition of Primeval Whirl Begins at Animal Kingdom

    Demolition of Primeval Whirl Begins at Animal Kingdom

    Disney Parks has started demolition on Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom this week.

    Disney placed construction walls around the ride earlier this month, signaling that the ride’s end was near.

    The attraction, located at Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand, was one of the centerpieces of the park. Visitors noticed that several of the large archways that framed the chain lift of the ride were pulled off the starting hill. Bioreconstruct of Twitter recently posted several pictures of the destruction as you can see below:

    Primeval Whirl was a spinning roller coaster purchased from Reverchon Industries. The ride was part of Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama, which is itself part of DinoLand U.S.A. It was a roller coaster in the “Mild But Wild Thrills” category. It had cars that spun in circles while traveling on tracks, permitting the ride experience to vary greatly each time it is ridden. 

    Disney has yet to comment on what would replace the ride. 

  • Video Of Woman Inappropriately Touching Gaston At Disney is Going Viral

    Video Of Woman Inappropriately Touching Gaston At Disney is Going Viral

    A guest at Disney World was told to “get out” while getting her picture taken with Beauty and the Beast character Gaston after she touched him inappropriately.

    In the video, which was originally shared on YouTube in 2015, a woman can be seen standing next to Gaston for a photo touching his chest in a flirtatious manner.

    The encounter prompted an instant response from the Disney cast member, who stepped away before gesturing for the woman to leave, telling her: “You’re out. NOW.” As you can see in the video below:

    The actor immediately pulls away, while staying in character pushes her towards the exit and says “get out.”

    This week the video resurfaced after, Evan Snead, who goes by the username @evansnead on TikTok, where he frequently shares behind-the-scenes facts and videos about Disney theme parks, uploaded the video to TikTok as a reminder to guests of the importance of treating Disney cast members with respect.

  • Visa Introduces Disney World 50th Anniversary EARidescent Card Design

    Visa Introduces Disney World 50th Anniversary EARidescent Card Design

    Chase Disney VISA is now offering a new 50th anniversary design for cardholders in honor of The World’s Most Magical Celebration at Walt Disney World.

    All you have to do is log into your Chase account and search “Card Design.” From there, you’ll be able to click “Change My Card Design” and you’ll be led to a page with all the design options where you can select the new Walt Disney World 50th design.

    It’s free and easy to change your Disney Visa Credit Card design anytime. Just click here to get started.

    Disney Visa Cardmembers receive limited-time offers and year-round perks. Take advantage of offers for travel, entertainment and shopping including collectibles, limited-edition pins, special events and much more. New offers become available often, so be sure to check back frequently!

  • Disney’s All-Star Sports to Remain Closed Indefinitely Awaiting Updates

    Disney’s All-Star Sports to Remain Closed Indefinitely Awaiting Updates

    Disney’s All-Star Music and Movies Resorts have reopened, but Disney has announced that the reopening of All-Star Sports will be postponed until further notice.

    “We’re excited to continue welcoming Guests back to our Disney Resort hotels, such as at Disney’s All-Star Resorts, where we recently reopened the Music and Movies themes,” Disney said in a statement.

    At this time, Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort will remain closed while they take the opportunity to refresh the Sports theme area. A new reopening date for rooms at All-Star Sports at a later time.

    Guests with upcoming reservations will receive communication via email and will be instructed to reach out to their Travel Professional to modify their stay, at no additional charge. This modification will have no impact to other vacation experiences that may be booked, such as Theme Park reservations or dining.

  • VIDEO: New Baby White Rhino Born at Disney World

    VIDEO: New Baby White Rhino Born at Disney World

    An endangered white male rhino calf was born earlier this month at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and Disney had shared a sneak peek of the newborn.

    Born to first-time mom Jao backstage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Mom and baby are doing great under the keepers’ watchful and joyful eyes. I am happy to report that the beautiful calf snuggled up to mom and began nursing right away.

    The video below features endearing moments as mother Kendi bonds with her playful new baby:

    “While we give Jao and her baby boy ample time to bond, it will be a little while before we know the calf’s weight.,” Disney said. Typically, white rhino calves can weigh as much as 140 pounds at birth.

    Rhinoceros also have one of the longest gestation periods of any mammal – approximately 16 to 18 months. Our animal care team’s veterinarians, scientists and animal keepers kept a close eye on Jao throughout her pregnancy, conducting regular checkups and ultrasounds to ensure a safe birth.

    Jao was paired with dad Dugan, the bull of the herd, through one of the Species Survival Plans, which are overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure the responsible breeding of endangered species. This birth is a true milestone for this endangered species. And our herd continues to grow. This delivery marks the 12th rhino born at Disney, and the second rhino born in the last year. And even more hooves are on the horizon as another first-time mom, Lola, is expected to give birth this fall. 

    In the coming weeks, Jao and baby are expected to join the “crash” (a group of rhinos), in their habitat on the Harambe Wildlife Reserve where park guests can catch a glimpse of the herd while aboard Kilimanjaro Safaris.

  • Disney World 50th Anniversary Happy Meals Coming to McDonald’s

    Disney World 50th Anniversary Happy Meals Coming to McDonald’s

    Happy Meals at McDonald’s are getting a magical update. To celebrate Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary, McDonald’s will release limited-edition Happy Meal toys.

    Starting Sept. 14, the fast food restaurant giant is getting in helping celebrate Walt Disney World Resort’s upcoming 50th anniversary with with custom Happy Meal toys and a chance to win a vacation to Disney’s big milestone event in Orlando.

    A few of the toys will even be dressed in sparkly “EARidescent” outfits, perfect for Disney World’s “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” an 18-month celebration running from Oct. 1, 2021 through April 1, 2023 at Walt Disney World Resort to celebrate the resort’s 50th anniversary. Take a closer look at the toys below:

    The event is for a limited time, and only at participating McDonald’s nationwide, but the gifts will be big for Disney fans. The home of the Golden Arches will be dolling out never-before-seen figurines — 50 in total — each featuring different fan favorite figurines of Disney characters over the years.

  • BREAKING: Annual Passes Returning to Disney World in September

    BREAKING: Annual Passes Returning to Disney World in September

    Disney has announced that the Annual Pass Program is returning to Disney World.

    Beginning Sept. 8, 2021, they will once again invite new Walt Disney World Annual Passholders to be a part of this beloved program!

    “We are introducing four new Annual Passes offering the flexibility and choice to meet guest needs, each designed based on Passholder feedback,” Disney said. “These passes will help our biggest fans experience all that’s to come during “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” – from new attractions and nighttime spectaculars to dazzling decorations at all four theme parks and more!”

    Here are some highlights of our new Annual Passes:

    • Hold More Park Reservations: Depending on their pass type, Passholders may now hold up to five Disney Park Pass reservations at a time. We’ll also be adding “bonus reservations” to the calendar from time to time, so Passholders can make an additional park reservation without it counting against their applicable reservation hold limit. Plus, when Passholders stay at Disney Resort hotels or other select hotels, they will also be eligible to make theme park reservations for each day of their stay – in addition to the reservations you can hold based on your pass type!
    • Customize Your Pass: Choose different add-on options based on your preferences – from the Water Park and Sports option to Disney PhotoPass downloads. These add-on options will be available for purchase with any of our four new passes. 
    • Access a New Integrated Calendar: Planning will be easier with enhancements to our reservation system, including a new integrated calendar that lets Passholders quickly see blockout dates for each pass type, view available days and make, modify or cancel a reservation all in one place.
    • Enjoy Passholder Perks: Passes will continue to offer benefits you know and love including the Park Hopper option, standard theme park parking and discounts on merchandise and dining. And, there will be a few special surprises throughout the 50th anniversary celebration!
  • Disney Ends Free FastPass in Favor of New Paid “Lightning Lane” System

    Disney Ends Free FastPass in Favor of New Paid “Lightning Lane” System

    Disney revealed on Wednesday the retirement of it’s FastPass program in favor of a new service calle Disney Genie+ and will cost $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort.

    Guests will be able to choose one attraction at a time and select the next available arrival window for the Lightning Lane entrance.

    Disney Genie is intended to make planning easier and add more flexibility to those who visit parks and resorts by reducing time in lines and helping you “discover magic around every corner.” Take a look below at a few more features:

    • Get Itinerary Updates from Morning to Night: Disney Genie will continue to update your itinerary throughout your day, so you can be more spontaneous and go with the flow.
    • Find Your Favorites at a Glance: Create your very own personal tip board to instantly see your favorites. It will display current AND forecasted future wait times, helping you predict when you might experience quicker entry to attractions.
    • Enjoy More Flexibility and Fun: Disney Genie brings existing planning features together in one place. Join a virtual queue at certain attractions, make dining and experience reservations, mobile order food at many locations, get help from a virtual assistant and more.

    For even more convenience and flexibility, there are two other options for enjoying our theme parks, through a queue we are introducing called the Lightning Lane entrance that also saves you time in line:

    • Disney Genie+ service (available for purchase): For the price of $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World Resort and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort, choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane entrance. You can make one selection at a time, throughout the day – from classics like Haunted Mansion to thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (attractions subject to limited availability). This convenient option is the next evolution of the fan-favorite Disney MaxPass service from Disneyland Resort. Disney Genie+ will also include Disney parks-themed audio experiences and photo features to capture your memories – augmented reality lenses for those visiting Walt Disney World Resort and unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads from your day if you are visiting Disneyland Resort.
    • Individual attraction selections (available for purchase): Schedule a time to arrive at up to two highly demanded attractions each day using the Lightning Lane entrance – like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom Park and Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure park (subject to limited availability; attractions not included with Disney Genie+). Pricing for this option will vary by date, attraction and park and will be announced closer to launch.

    Lightning Lane selections will be made on the same day of your visit and can be used across multiple theme parks, great for those who love the Park Hopper option. Attractions continue to offer a traditional standby queue, or a virtual queue at certain attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – to maximize flexibility.

    “While the FASTPASS, FastPass+ and Disney MaxPass services will be retired, we’re incredibly excited about the flexibility and choices Disney Genie service provides. You can choose from all of our new options, a mix of them or none at all, and continue to have a great experience no matter how you decide to plan your best Disney day,” Disney said.