Disney News

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  • VIDEO: First Look at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Coming to Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort

    VIDEO: First Look at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Coming to Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort

    During the Disney Channel holiday special, “Disney Channel Holiday Party @Walt Disney World,” viewers got a special look at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway rolling into Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida on March 4, 2020.

    As we’ve previously shared, this will be the first Disney ride-through attraction featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse that will draw guests inside a Mickey cartoon for a fun-filled adventure where “Mouse rules apply” and anything can happen.

    Check out a first-look video below, hosted by Disney Channel’s “ZOMBIES 2” stars Meg Donnelly and Milo Manheim.

    Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway opens at Disneyland park in California in 2022.

  • Drawn to Life: New Cirque du Soleil Production to Open at Disney Springs in 2020

    Drawn to Life: New Cirque du Soleil Production to Open at Disney Springs in 2020

    Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and Disney Parks are thrilled to announce Drawn to Life, the highly anticipated, new family friendly show coming to Disney Springs at Disney World Resort.

    Drawn to Life will transport guests of all ages into the world of Disney animation in Cirque du Soleil’s signature style. This entirely new experience will wow Walt Disney World guests and Cirque du Soleil fans, while bringing timeless Disney stories to life in an unforgettable new way.

    Written and directed by Michel Laprise and with Fabrice Becker as Director of creation, this collaboration between Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering will open for previews March 20, 2020, and officially premiere April 17, 2020. The show will take residency at Disney Springs.

    Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group President and CEO Daniel Lamarre, says, “For Cirque du Soleil, this is a beautiful way of celebrating Disney’s legacy in the art of animation. This new and exciting production is most certainly the best way to highlight the privileged relationship we have with our colleagues at Walt Disney World and our joint commitment to continually bring audiences new experiences that surpass their expectations.”

    The show is a result of years of research and extraordinary collaboration that included extensive visits to Disney theme parks, Walt Disney Archives, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, The Walt Disney Family Museum, as well as hands-on work between Disney animators and Cirque du Soleil. In fact, the Cirque du Soleil teams collaborated extensively with legacy animators to create the show.

    ‘’What fascinates us is that moment when life appears in drawings. Just like in an acrobat’s body, the visceral physicality of animation. The way they perform, the way they create the illusion of life,’’ says Michel Laprise Writer and Show Director.

    ”In creating this show, we’ve brought to life an extraordinary new entertainment experience for the whole family,” said Josh, D’Amaro, president, Walt Disney World Resort, “It blends all the heart, humor and joy of Disney storytelling with new acrobatic performances and effects never before seen in a Cirque du Soleil production.”

    This new show follows the story of Julie, a courageous and determined girl who discovers an unexpected gift left by her late father: an unfinished animation piece. Guided by a surprising pencil, she embarks on an inspiring quest sprinkled with her Disney childhood memories. Through this journey, she learns to imagine new possibilities and animate the story of her future.

  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Debuts at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Today

    Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Debuts at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Today

    Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance made its public debut Dec. 5, 2019, inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and this is the Disney attraction you’re looking for!

    After years of anticipation for this groundbreaking new attraction, guests will now become heroes of the Resistance in a climactic battle with the First Order.

    During a special dedication ceremony Wednesday night inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Bob Chapek lauded the attraction’s immersive storytelling and technological innovation.

    “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance sets a new standard for what a theme park experience can be,” Chapek said. “Tonight, we’re welcoming the world to experience the Star Wars galaxy like never before, with the opening of the most ambitious, immersive, advanced, action-packed attraction we’ve ever created.”

    Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is one of the most ambitious attractions ever created for a Disney park. The thrilling action takes place in massive sets that give guests the feeling of stepping inside a Star Warsfilm as they elude the clutches of Kylo Ren and the First Order in a mad dash through a Star Destroyer.

    The new attraction adds to the adventures that await inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the 14-acre land that opened earlier this year at both Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests become part of their own Star Wars stories as they take control of the fastest ship in the galaxy in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, sample galactic food and drink, craft their own lightsabers and build their own droids in interactive retail experiences, and encounter some of their favorite Star Wars characters.

    Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is the latest chapter in the collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm Ltd., a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production, including the Star Wars franchise. The work on Star Wars between these two creative powerhouses dates back to 1987, when the groundbreaking Star Tours attraction opened at Disneyland.

    As a reminder, guests at Disneyland park in California can begin enjoying Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance when the attraction opens there on January 17, 2020.

  • New Passholder Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway MagicBand Coming to Hollywood Studios

    New Passholder Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway MagicBand Coming to Hollywood Studios

    Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will open March 4, 2020, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and of course that means lots of merch and today Disney revealed a new Passholder exclusive MagicBand that is just perfect!

    The new MagicBand will be available along with all of the other ride exclusive merchandise when the attraction opens in March.

    Take a look below at some of the other amazing merch being released for the opening:

    This will be the first Disney ride-through attraction featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, that will draw your guests inside a Mickey cartoon for a fun-filled adventure where “Mouse rules apply” and anything can happen! 

    Stay tuned to Disney Dorks for more updates on the transformation happening at Walt Disney World, as the Most Magical Place on Earth experiences its most significant period of growth in the past two decades. 

  • NEW Green Alien Holiday Ears Land at Disney World

    NEW Green Alien Holiday Ears Land at Disney World

    Oooooohhhh!!! The claw has dropped some festive new Mickey Ear headbands at Hollywood Studios and they are going to light up your night!

    The new ears have buzz and woody Christmas ornaments on both ears as well as a cut Green Alien themed ornament. These ears also light up! With a quick flip of the switch on top you can light up the night with holiday cheer!

    You can find the ears in Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios and they will cost you just under $20.

  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Attraction Opens Thursday at Disney World

    Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Attraction Opens Thursday at Disney World

    Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opens tomorrow at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios and the force is strong with this attraction!!!

    Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance sets a new standard for what a Disney theme park experience can be, as guests become heroes of the Resistance in a climactic battle with the First Order.

    In one of the most immersive, ambitious and technologically advanced attractions ever created for a Disney park, guests launch into space aboard a transport shuttle, only to be captured by a Star Destroyer and pursued by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren as they frantically search for a way to escape the clutches of the First Order.

    This new attraction inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge draws guests into a sprawling Star Wars narrative that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, as jaw-dropping sights brimming with vivid detail create surprises around every turn. In one of the longest Disney attraction experiences ever, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance delivers thrilling action driven by cutting-edge technology and innovative design that gives guests the feeling of stepping inside a Star Wars film.

    Join the Resistance

    • Guests exploring Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge find the Resistance’s temporary encampment in the forested area along the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost on Batuu.
    • The gateway to the encampment is marked by a large turret. From there, a pathway leads deeper into the forest toward towering cliffs and the crumbling remains of an ancient civilization. Guests weave through low stone walls, timeworn pillars and tight corridors as they progress farther into the base, hearing military communications chatter along the way.
    • In a makeshift briefing room, Rey – a hero of the cause – appears via holo-transmission alongside dutiful droid BB-8 to welcome the new Resistance recruits. She shares a plan to reunite with General Leia Organa at an off-planet location that must be kept secret from the First Order.
    • Guests then board a nearby Intersystem Transport Ship (I-TS) and have to make their rendezvous quickly to avoid a First Order Star Destroyer on its way to Batuu. They should have a bad feeling about this …

    An All-Encompassing Attraction Experience

    • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance throws out the rulebook for traditional attraction design, eschewing and/or blending industry notions such as “queue,” “preshow” and “ride” to create a seamless, holistic experience full of rich details and breathtaking excitement on a cinematic scale.
    • When guests board the I-TS, they’ll feel as if they’re lifting off the surface of Batuu and blasting into space alongside Poe Dameron in his signature black-painted X-wing starfighter, Black One.
    • Before the I-TS can make the jump to lightspeed, it’s caught in the tractor beam of a Star Destroyer and pulled into a massive hangar bay.
    • Guests make their escape from the Star Destroyer aboard eight-passenger First Order Fleet Transports piloted by reprogrammed R5-series astromech droids.
    • The attraction features grand set pieces – including the hangar bay that is filled with 50 menacing stormtroopers and a docked TIE fighter. At various points, guests dodge blaster bolts from stormtroopers and AT-AT walkers, scurry past huge turbolaser cannons, and stumble into the Star Destroyer’s bridge.
    • Throughout their journey, guests are hunted by Kylo Ren, who uses the Force in an attempt to pry from their minds the location of General Organa’s secret base. Guests feel Ren’s tremendous malevolent power as they narrowly avoid his attacks.

    Authentically Star Wars

    • Actors from the current Star Wars film trilogy reprise their roles for new scenes and dialogue in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, including Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) and Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux). Many scenes were filmed at the same time “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” were in production.
    • Poe Dameron’s X-wing is one of several vehicles from the Star Wars galaxy appearing in the attraction.
    • Disney cast members adopt personalities of First Order and Resistance troops throughout the attraction to further deepen the immersive experience for guests.
    • Walt Disney Imagineering worked hand in hand with Lucasfilm in writing the attraction’s script, ensuring characters and storylines were properly integrated into the broader Star Wars
    • The attraction introduces a new featured character: Lieutenant Bek is a Mon Calamari Resistance officer who helps guide the Resistance recruits through their harrowing journey.

    Cutting-Edge Technology Powers Immersive Storytelling

    • Walt Disney Imagineering combined multiple ride systems to tell the story of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. In one sequence, a new simulator experience gives the sensation of falling from space to crash land on Batuu.
    • The trackless ride vehicles in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance are some of the most advanced ever used in a Disney attraction, with a sleek, low profile and the ability to move in all directions.
    • Disney A-1000 Audio-Animatronicsfigures appearing in the attraction provide a deep level of immersive storytelling through their lifelike and dynamic movements.
    • To fully realize this Star Wars story, Imagineers created thousands of special effects, from slashing lightsabers and whizzing blaster bolts to exploding walls and massive star fields – just to name a few.

    Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opens Dec. 5, 2019, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Jan. 17, 2020, at Disneyland Park in California. 

  • BREAKING: New Ratatouille Ride Vehicle Revealed at Epcot

    BREAKING: New Ratatouille Ride Vehicle Revealed at Epcot

    During a special media preview of 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, we got a first look at the new Ride Vehicle for the upcoming Ratatouille Ride coming to Epcot’s France Pavillion.

    The attraction will expand the pavilion and shrink guests to Remy’s size and scurry to safety in a dazzling chase across a kitchen with the sights, sounds and smells of Gusteau’s legendary Parisian restaurant.

    The loading area is made to look like to rooftops of Paris, with oversized chimneys and rain gutters. This is the area where riders will board trackless ride vehicles, which are made to look like rats.

    Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opens in summer 2020. In addition to the Ratatouille ride, the expansion of the France Pavilion will include new shopping, dining, and more.

  • BREAKING: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Set to Open March 4, 2020 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

    BREAKING: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Set to Open March 4, 2020 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

    In a special presentation Tuesday at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Bob Chapek announced Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will open March 4, 2020, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

    On this new attraction, guests step through the movie screen and join Mickey and friends on a railway adventure as they take part in the wacky and unpredictable world of a Mickey Mouse Cartoon Short.

    This will be the first Disney ride-through attraction featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, that will draw your guests inside a Mickey cartoon for a fun-filled adventure where “Mouse rules apply” and anything can happen! 

    Walt Disney Imagineer Kevin Rafferty came on stage during the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts panel during last year’s D23 Expo and described Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway as a zany, out-of-control adventure with unpredictable twists and turns, dazzling visual effects, and mind-boggling transformations that happen during the scenes.

  • New Frozen Dooney & Bourke Collection Released by Disney

    New Frozen Dooney & Bourke Collection Released by Disney

    With “Frozen 2” freezing the competition at the box office and the holiday shopping season in full swing, it’s the perfect time for the New Frozen Dooney & Bourke collection just released by Disney.

    The newest collection is a great way to accessorize this holiday season which showcases several new handbags by Dooney & Bourke, adorned with Elsa, Anna, and Olaf featured on the allover icy blue print.

    The new Frozen collection includes pouch, tote and cross-body styles. Take a look at the collection below:

    Frozen Pouch by Dooney & Bourke – $128.00

    With the elegant styling of this “Frozen” pouch purse, you’ll be able to venture into the unknown with all your essentials on hand. This bag includes a top carry handle that can be released on one side, a front zip pocket, and interior slots.

    Frozen Crossbody Bag by Dooney & Bourke – $198.00

    The “Frozen” Crossbody Bag includes a leather Disney Frozen dangle.

    Frozen Tote Bag by Dooney & Bourke – $298.00

    The “Frozen” tote bag has a striking styling and spacious size. The allover print captures Arendelle’s spectacular landscape in different seasons, with Elsa on one side and her sister Anna on the other side.

    The whole collection is avaiable now on shopDisney and at Ever After Jewelry Co. and Accessories in Disney Springs.

  • Anna and Elsa are Meeting Guests in Their Frozen 2 Outfits for a Limited Time

    Anna and Elsa are Meeting Guests in Their Frozen 2 Outfits for a Limited Time

    To celebrate the release of “Frozen 2,” Anna and Elsa are now meeting guests all decked out in new looks inspired by their new adventures.

    You can meet them at Royal Sommerhus at Epcot and as part of Anna & Elsa’s Royal Welcome at Disney California Adventure Park when they head west. The sisters will also be traveling to Frozen Fantasy Gardens Village at Hong Kong Disneyland. When Frozen Celebration begins at Disneyland Paris next year, Anna and Elsa will also be attending in their “Frozen 2” attire.

    Anna looks very regal in her layered green dress, with a cape lined in a deep purple as you can see in the post below:

    In Frozen 2 Elsa goes on a journey to save Arrendelle and find the source of her magical powers. As Pabbie the troll says, “We’ve always feared Elsa’s powers were too much for this world; now we must pray they are enough. In Frozen 2 we’re about to find out just how strong Elsa really is, and she’s looking pretty fierce in her new white gown.

    Take a look at Anna and Elsa meeting guests in the video below: