Tag: disney world

  • VIDEO: Gorillas Go Viral at Disney World After a Snake Enters Their Enclosure

    VIDEO: Gorillas Go Viral at Disney World After a Snake Enters Their Enclosure

    A video of the Gorilla’s at Animal Kingdom in Disney World has gone viral after their extremely relatable reaction to finding a snake in their habitat was posted to Tik Tok.

    The video was viewed over 3 million times in a little over 24 hours. It’s unclear if it was recorded the same day it was posted.

    The now-viral TikTok from was posted by Bearded Kraken (@silkystrokesurvivor) as you can see below:

    @silkystrokesurvivor

    Gorilla VS Snake #disneyworld #animalkingdom #gorilla #snake #3minutes #3minutevideo #SilkyAF #embracethesilk

    ♬ original sound – Bearded Kraken

    The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail offers guests a chance to “explore a lush tropical forest inhabited by native African wildlife including gorillas, hippos, and exotic birds,” and “salute [their] resident troop of gorillas.” The park is committed to conservation and allowing guests to see the animals in their “natural” habitat. Unfortunately for the gorillas, snakes are sometimes part of their natural habitat.

  • Disney World Offering $1,000 Signing Bonuses to New Hires

    Disney World Offering $1,000 Signing Bonuses to New Hires

    After laying off more than 30,000 employees in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Walt Disney Co. is now offering $1,000 bonuses to recruit new housekeepers and select kitchen staff at Disney World.

    Housekeepers, making $16 an hour, and line cooks, earning $18, can receive the money if they stay on the job for at least 90 days, according to the company’s website.

    About 33,000 of the more than 41,000 members of the Service Trades Council Union have returned to work at Disney World, according to Matt Hollis, president of that worker coalition. About 15,000 of the 32,000 workers at California’s Disneyland resort have returned, the company said.

    Disney, which was forced to close its theme parks around the world due to the coronavirus, announced plans in September to lay off 28,000 employees, a number that later grew to 32,000 companywide. Most of them were at its domestic resorts.

    Disney said it has rehired more than three-quarters of those affected by furloughs and work reductions. Disneyland, in Anaheim, California, has been bringing back 300 staffers a week, and the company wants to hire thousands more at its U.S. resorts this summer and fall.

  • New Baby Giraffe Born at Disney World

    New Baby Giraffe Born at Disney World

    Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Disney World announced the recent birth of a strapping, long-necked male giraffe.

    The healthy calf weighed in at 183 pounds and stands six feet tall, according to Disney’s animal care team on site for the birth. The still-to-be named calf is calm, relaxed and enjoys cuddle time with his mom, Lily.

    Distinct markings reveal a butterfly on his right shoulder, heart-shaped spots on his coat and a white-tipped speckled mane. Take a closet look at mom and baby below:

    Lily is a parenting pro, staying close to her baby to bond and nurse. Giraffes born at the park spend several weeks bonding in backstage environments before meeting members of their extended giraffe family.

    The pitter patter of little hooves is quite familiar to the Disney animal care team. This new arrival is the third giraffe born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the past year, marking another success for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan Program. These plans ensure responsible breeding of threatened and endangered species. Giraffes are a vulnerable species facing a silent extinction in the wild, with a population decline of 40 percent over the past 30 years.

    Walt Disney World Resort is a proud home to two subspecies of giraffes. Masai giraffe live on the park’s Kilimanjaro Safaris savanna, while Reticulated giraffe, Hybrid giraffe and Masai giraffe roam the savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

    Disney’s Animal Kingdom guests can keep their eyes peeled for mom and calf to join the rest of the giraffe herd on the savanna in the coming weeks.

  • Tower of Terror Movie in the Works at Disney

    Tower of Terror Movie in the Works at Disney

    A Tower of Terror movie based on the Disney Parks attraction is in the works at Disney according to reports.

    36-year-old actress Scarlett Johansson is set to produce the new film and Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley is penning the script for the project based on the classic Disney theme park ride.

    Plot details are being kept under wraps, and it is unclear if the Oscar nominee would act in the project as well. Johansson is producing via her These Pictures banner with Jonathan Lia.

    First introduced in 1994, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a drop-in-the-dark ride based on the classic television series of the same name.

    Host Rod Serling narrates the experience, in which guests weave through a queue inside the fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel before boarding an elevator that “travels directly to … The Twilight Zone.”

    In 1997 Walt Disney Television produced a TV film based on Tower of Terror starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst. It was Disney’s first film based on its theme park locations. Since then, however, Disney has produced films based on attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean, Tomorrowland, and Haunted Mansion.

  • FIRST LOOK: Reimagined Guest Rooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

    FIRST LOOK: Reimagined Guest Rooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

    As Walt Disney World prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary this October, Walt Disney Imagineering is reimagining the guest rooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and now Disney has given us a first look at the new décor debuting this fall.

    Walt Disney Imagineering is continuing to build on the optimistic spirit of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, enhancing the retro-modern aesthetic evoking Tomorrowland … with a dash of something Incredible, too.

    Currently all nine floors of guest rooms in the tower are being completely refurbished and these rooms will blend a sleek Monorail motif with some favorite characters from Pixar Animation Studios’ Incredibles films, including Jack-Jack, Frozone and Edna Mode as you can see below:

    New custom artwork in guest rooms and along guest corridors will be modern, futuristic and oh so stylish, dahling, complementing the resort’s architecture while putting the Supers’ powers on display.

    In the lobby, you’ll soon see a collection of modern art pieces as well as historical, behind-the-scenes photographs of Disney’s Contemporary Resort in development and under construction. The resort’s lobby restaurant, The Wave… of American Flavors, will also soon close to make way for a reimagined dining experience in time for the Walt Disney World 50th anniversary celebration. And once the tower guest rooms are complete, work will begin on the rooms inside the Garden Wing out on the shore of Bay Lake.

    All the excitement at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is part of the ongoing evolution of the Disney Resorts Collection at Walt Disney World, where the magic you find in our theme parks extends to every moment of your vacation.

  • New Darth Vader Minnie Ears now Avaiable at Disney World

    New Darth Vader Minnie Ears now Avaiable at Disney World

    Disney has released a new Darth Vader Minnie Ear headband and this is the accessory you’re looking for!

    Join the fashionable dark side and you’ll ”Rule the Galaxy” in this Minnie Ear Headband inspired by the Dark Lord of the Sith.

    Inspired by the signature Minnie headwear, it features a PVC bow with the Dark Lord at its center, while the domed ears have a raised Galactic Empire symbol. Take closer look below:

    Darth Vader Ear Headband – $34.99

    You can find the new Minnie Ears on shopDisney and at retail locations at Disney World.

    Magic in the details

    • Padded ears
    • Faux leather back with embroidered ”Rule the Galaxy”
    • Molded front with raised Galactic Empire symbol 
    • PVC bow with 3D Darth Vader helmet
    • Faux leather headband with contrasting non-slip fabric interior
  • Single Rider Lines Returning to Disney World

    Single Rider Lines Returning to Disney World

    Disney World continues relaxing restrictions at the parks and now single riders lines are returning to for attractions.

    The single rider line is designed for solo riders. Cast members will place those riders with other parties to fill in all the space on designated rides.

    According to the Walt Disney World website, the single rider is no longer listed under the paused Attractions and Entertainment section of the website, as you can see below:

    Disney World has already ended the mask requirement for guest and cast members who are vaccinated and has removed social distancing markers from some queue lines for rides.

  • OFFICIAL: Fireworks Spectaculars Returning to Disney Parks This Summer

    OFFICIAL: Fireworks Spectaculars Returning to Disney Parks This Summer

    As more communities adjust and ease COVID-19 guidelines, Disney theme parks has been gradually bringing back more park experiences and now Disney has officially announced the return of fireworks this summer!

    At Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, July 1 marks the start of nightly fireworks performances at Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT.

    A Disney tradition since 1957, fireworks shows are what Walt Disney called the perfect “kiss goodnight” at the close of a magical day, and this summer the skies above Disney theme parks will sparkle with color once more. Disney made the announcement in a video as you can see below:

    “Happily Ever After” will transform Cinderella Castle with lights, projections and pyrotechnics, as moments from favorite Disney stories encourage you to grab hold of your dreams and make them come true. And as part of the ongoing transformation of EPCOT, “EPCOT Forever” will produce a spectacle of fireworks, music and lighting effects over World Showcase Lagoon, highlighting the themes of innovation, exploration, imagination and celebration at the core of the park’s past, present and future.

    As Disneyland park in California welcomes back all guests, the fun starts July 4 with “Mickey’s Mix Magic” presented nightly throughout the summer. State-of-the-art projections, show lighting and lasers will transform Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle and the façade of “it’s a small world” into a dazzling, family fun dance party that goes sky high with fireworks to celebrate the leader of the club, Mickey Mouse.

  • Disney World Drops Indoor Mask Policy for Vaccinated Guests

    Disney World Drops Indoor Mask Policy for Vaccinated Guests

    As of Tuesday, fully vaccinated guests at Disney World are no longer required to wear face coverings in most areas of the park. according to its website.

    Masks are still required for Disney transportation, including buses, monorails and the Disney Skyliner gondolas.

    No proof of vaccination will be required and the Resort will be relying solely on the honor system. Orange County, Florida lifted all local face mask recommendations on June 5.

    “We’re not quite ready to bring back everything yet,” the website reads, “but we are optimistic and look forward to the day when Disney pals and princesses are able to hug once again.”

    Disney World is also easing its physical distancing guidelines, and will update its terms in visibile locations throughout the park.

  • Fireworks Could Be Returning to Disney World in July

    Fireworks Could Be Returning to Disney World in July

    Fireworks will return to Disney World during the first week of July just in time for the 4th of July according to several online reports.

    Reportedly, Happily Ever After and EPCOT Forever will be returning to their respective parks. It is unlikely that Harmonious would debut at EPCOT, but considering the pyro tests that have been seen from EPCOT area resorts, its debut may be sooner than we think, according to MonorailNews.com.

    This would make since Disney Parks has been relaxing covid saftey measures and has also recently begun to hire new pyrotechnic and special effects designers as well as bringing back former cast members to the job according to reports.

    Happily Ever After takes you on a dazzling journey of color, light and song that captures the heart, humor and heroism of favorite Disney animated films. Cinderella Castle becomes part of the story by magically transforming through amazing state-of-the art projection technology you have to see to believe.

    This astounding 18-minute fireworks extravaganza uses more lights, lasers and special effects than any other fireworks spectacular in the history of Magic Kingdom park, plus a soaring score featuring contemporary versions of beloved Disney songs.

    During EPCOT Forever you’ll witness the wonder as the story of Epcot and its next incredible chapter come to life in this new nighttime spectacular. Behold the single “spark of imagination” that started it all. Watch it grow, evolve and transform into an epic nighttime extravaganza that stirs the senses and captures all you love about Epcot—and all that’s to come—with dazzling fireworks, stunning laser effects and choreographed kites set to tunes that have become theme park favorites.

    Hopefully the rumors prove true! We’ll keep you updated so stay tuned to Disney Dorks for the latest updates.