January 2021 – Page 20 – A Walk With The Mouse

Disney Shares “21 Ways to Kick Off 2021” at Walt Disney World

Posted on January 2, 2021January 2, 2021 by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Happy New Year! We’ve made it into 2021! Today, Disney greets us with “21 Ways to Kick Off 2021” at the most magical place on earth. Let’s see what they have in store for us. Check out the video and details below as shared by DisneyParksBlog.

Walt Disney World Resort is ready to help you turn the page on 2020 right away and begin 2021 with magic. From new and classic attractions to culinary experiences to character interactions and more, here are 21 reasons to be excited about a visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth in early 2021:

1. Explore the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, Beginning Jan. 8 – Through Feb. 22, you’re invited to an expansive collection of visual, performance and culinary arts throughout the park.

2. Gaze Upon the Reimagined Entrance Fountain at EPCOT – The new water feature in front of Spaceship Earth hearkens back to the park’s origins and highlights a greener, more open and welcoming experience as you enter the park. The fountain is the most recent milestone in the historic transformation of EPCOT now underway.

3. Step Inside the Cartoon World of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Go through the movie screen as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Engineer Goofy and Pluto take you on a trip through Runnamuck Park … where anything can happen!

4. Embark on a Star Wars Adventure in a Galaxy Far, Far Away – Disney’s Hollywood Studios is also home to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the immersive, award-winning land featuring two thrilling attractions: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.

Kylo Ren in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

5. Check Out Cinderella Castle’s Royal Makeover – The treasured icon at the heart of Magic Kingdom Park now features bold, shimmering and regal enhancements befitting its royal status, making for a great photo with family and friends.

Cinderella Castle, the icon of Magic Kingdom Park

6. Experience Classic Attractions at Magic Kingdom Park – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, The Haunted Mansion, “it’s a small world,” Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain … the new year is a great time for you to reconnect with these classics loved by millions the world over.

7. Watch for New Residents on the Harambe Wildlife Reserve at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park – Nigerian dwarf goats now play like kids at the warden’s outpost near the end of Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Nigerian dwarf goats at Disney's Animal Kingdom

8. Bask in the Cuteness of Baby Animals – In addition to the Nigerian dwarf goats, you may catch a glimpse of some of the animals born in 2020 at Walt Disney World while at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Aboard Kilimanjaro Safaris, for example, you may spot young Masai giraffe now out on the savanna.

Female Masai giraffe Maple at Disney's Animal Kingdom

9. Celebrate the Magic of Nature in Pandora – The World of Avatar – At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, travel to the Valley of Mo’ara to hike among the floating mountains of Pandora and experience two awe-inspiring attractions: Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey.

10. Find Disney Characters in New Places – From cavalcades to caravans to flotillas and even special “pop-up” appearances, you can discover favorite friends at all four theme parks and the occasional special surprise at Disney Resort hotels.

11. Hop from Park to Park – Beginning today, guests who purchase a ticket or annual pass with Park Hopper benefits will be able to visit more than one park per day (with some new modifications).

'Mickey and Friends Cavalcade' at Magic Kingdom Park

12. Indulge in Sweet New Treats at Disney Springs – When visiting the shopping, dining and entertainment district of Walt Disney World, you have plenty of new options to satisfy your sweet tooth, including newly opened Gideon’s Bakehouse and the forthcoming M&M’S store and Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew.

Chocolate Chip cookie from Gideon’s Bakehouse

13. Pick Out the Perfect Post-Holiday Gift – Disney Springs is also the place where you’ll find a little something you may have missed on your holiday shopping list. From the massive World of Disney store to quaint boutiques and just about everything in between, Disney Springs is home to the latest Disney merchandise as well as on-trend accessories, apparel and gear from other top brands.

Interactive Groot action figure and Bluetooth speaker

14. Return to Favorite Disney Restaurants – As part of the phased reopening of Walt Disney World, restaurants continue to return to operation across The Most Magical Place on Earth. Recent reopenings include The Crystal Palace inside Magic Kingdom and the character breakfast at Chef Mickey’s inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

15. Make Some Time to Relax Outdoors – Central Florida weather is often gorgeous in the early months of the year, and Walt Disney World offers special ways to enjoy some outdoor recreation, including golf and miniature golf, fishing expeditions, horseback riding and more.

16. Buzz Through the Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, Blooming in March – Beginning March 3, you’ll find fresh cuisine, creative gardens and unforgettable topiaries as part of this annual festival.

Fresh Flowers and Flavors Spring to Life March 3, 2021

17. Soak Up the Sun at Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park – After remaining closed for all of 2020 due to the pandemic, this wintry-themed water park is planning to reopen in March and celebrate its 25^th season in splashy style.

Summit Plummet at Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park

18. Look for Some Fresh Pixie Dust at the Entrances to Walt Disney World – Make some new memories as you pass these iconic gateways to The Most Magical Place on Earth, which are receiving a refreshed color palette complementing the recent Cinderella Castle makeover.

New Entrances to Walt Disney World Resort

19. Add Extra Theme Park Magic to Vacations – Available to book beginning Jan. 5, 2021, guests buying non-discounted four-night/three-day room and ticket packages at select Disney Resort hotels for arrivals most nights Jan. 8, 2021, through Sept. 25, 2021, will receive an additional two days of theme park tickets.

20. Florida Residents Can Take Advantage of a Special Ticket Offer – Beginning Jan. 4, 2021, the four-day Florida Resident Discover Disney Ticket invites Floridians to visit any of the four Disney parks through June 18, 2021 (subject to blockout dates), for $199 (plus tax). For more details on this special offer, click here.

Father and daughter at Magic Kingdom Park

21. Get Excited for Even More Magic Later this Year – Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, the new family-friendly attraction coming to the France pavilion in EPCOT, will debut in 2021. And the new Cirque du Soleil show “Drawn to Life,” coming to Disney Springs, will be a collaboration between Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering. Keep checking back with us here at the Disney Parks Blog for more details about these experiences and other excitement happening around Walt Disney World in the future!

As a reminder, Walt Disney World continues to operate with enhanced health and safety policies so everyone can enjoy the magic responsibly. To manage attendance, guests are required to have valid theme park admission and make a park reservation for each day of their visit through the Disney Park Pass system. Please visit Disneyworld.com/Updates for more information.

Happy New Year from all of us here at Walt Disney World. We hope to see you real soon!

Animals Smash 2020 Pumpkins on New Year’s Eve at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Posted on January 1, 2021January 1, 2021 by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks

In a new video from Disney, the residents of Disney’s Animal Kingdom are smashing 2020-branded pumpkins, watermelons, and more in celebration of new year’s eve!

As Scott Terrell, Director of Animal & Science Operations at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, says on Disney Parks Blog, the destruction is a great enrichment activity for the animals.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dr. Mark Penning (@drmarkatdisney)

“Enrichment is all about giving animals fresh, unique objects in their environment so they can use their natural behaviors to check it out,” Terrell writes. “When we give them novel experiences in unexpected ways, it encourages them to continue to discover and explore.”

Terrell points out that babirusas love pushing the watermelon down the hill because that’s a natural rooting behavior for them. And black rhinos use their horn to smash a watermelon while also drinking up the juices. The rhino calf featured in the video—who is likely the same one born only a couple of months ago—is learning how to push things with his nose while his horn continues to come in.

Cirque du Soleil’s “Drawn to Life” Show Slated to Debut at Disney Springs This Year

Posted on January 1, 2021January 1, 2021 by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Via wdwnt.com

Cirque du Soleil’s new “Drawn to Life” show was slated to open at Disney Springs in early 2020, but unfortunately was delayed repeatedly due to the COVID-19 closure. In March, Cirque du Soleil laid off 95% of their employees, and a couple of months later, they filed for bankruptcy. “Drawn to Life” was eventually scheduled for a November opening, but this was canceled with no further updates.

Finally, Disney has acknowledged the upcoming show. While they haven’t announced a new opening date, the show is listed in Disney Parks Blog’s “21 Ways to Kick Off 2021 with Magic at Walt Disney World Resort”.

Disney Parks Blog describes “Drawn to Life” as “a collaboration between Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering.” Given it is listed along with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, which seems poised to open any day now, hopefully “Drawn to Life” is coming sooner rather than later.

Park Hopping Returns to Walt Disney World Today

Posted on January 1, 2021January 1, 2021 by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Via wdwnt.com

Today marks a major milestone in Walt Disney World’s phased reopening as the return of Park Hopping launches later this afternoon. While Park Hopping has existed for years now, it’s returning in a somewhat modified form to accommodate existing health and safety measures. That being said, there are many questions surrounding the process, like “Can I visit more than two parks a day?” and “How will I know a park has reached capacity?” Given that today is the first day of Park Hopper Hours, there may still be kinks to work out in the system, but here’s what we know so far.

Signs are already out at the entrances to the parks informing guests of some of the procedures.

Transportation for Park Hopping

park-hopper-a-frame-signs-magic-kingdom_2-4487863

This particular A-frame seen outside of the Magic Kingdom addressed bus transportation. Park-to-park transportation, previously unavailable at the start of the reopening, resumes today for guests who are park hopping. To board, you must have a valid ticket or pass with Park Hopper benefits—Cast Members will be checking ticket media prior to boarding. As a reminder, you must have a Disney Park Pass reservation for the first theme park you plan to visit and have entered the first theme park prior to visiting another. And while many fans have pined for its return, the EPCOT monorail line is still unavailable to guests.

Park Hopper Hours

Park Hopping doesn’t begin until 2:00 PM, or that day’s stated Park Hopper Hours. Currently, Park Hopper Hours start at 2:00 PM and go through park close, but that could change at any time.

Park Hopping – Capacity and Logistics

You can visit multiple parks after your initial parks, so theoretically you could visit all four parks in one day (like back in the good old days!), so long as the parks you’re trying to visit haven’t reached capacity. How will you know a park’s at capacity? Currently, there is no feature on the app, nor a number to call to check on this. If you’re taking a bus to the next park, the Cast Members at the stop will know which parks, if any, are at capacity. If you’re still in the park and want to check if your next park is at capacity (perhaps if you’re driving over), you can also inquire at Guest Relations.

Once you leave your first park, you may not be guaranteed access back in again if it reaches capacity. However, since your pass is part of the collective capacity established by the Disney Park Pass system, you should be able to get into another park—it just may not always be the one you want.

Rise of the Resistance

Yes, the popular Disney’s Hollywood Studios attraction has its own set of rules for park hoppers. As we’ve previously reported, only guests with Disney Park Passes for Disney’s Hollywood Studios (i.e. their first park of the day) will be able to try for a boarding group at 7:00 AM and the newly modified 1:00 PM release time. Previously, boarding groups were released at 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM, but the latter release was moved back to ensure guests wouldn’t make a mad dash to the park at the start of Park Hopper Hours.

Previously Complimentary MagicBands Now $5 on My Disney Experience

Posted on January 1, 2021January 1, 2021 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Via wdwnt.com

As was announced last year, MagicBands are no longer provided complimentary to Disney Resort hotel guests with arrivals beginning January 1, 2021.

For Disney Resort hotel room entry, Theme Park entry, and charging purchases to the hotel room with a valid credit card, guests may use a Key To The World card (provided at the Front Desk). Or, you can also use a MagicBand from a past visit (view potential limitations) or purchase a MagicBand pre-arrival.

On the “My MagicBands and Cards” section of My Disney Experience, MagicBand pre-arrival purchases are still available under the same former “Build-A-Band Upgrade” platform.

To reflect the changes, you can no longer filter between “Premium” and “Complimentary” bands. You can, however, filter by color or theme. The plain colored MagicBands that were previously complimentary are now available at a “special pre-order price” of $5, with a comparable value of $14.99.

Disney has stated plans to unveil an innovative new offering in 2021 as part of the My Disney Experience app that will bring the features of a MagicBand to smart devices, building on the app’s existing digital key feature.

Free souvenir luggage tags, which usually came in the same box as complimentary MagicBands, will no longer be mailed ahead of a guest’s trip, but are available for pick-up at Disney Resort hotel front desks for now.