For the first time, Disney+ subscribers can save up to 25% on rooms at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels! Bookings are now available for visits between July 8 through September 30, 2022.
This spring will see three new product lines unveiled as part of the Walt Disney World Resort 50th Anniversary celebration. The new lines will invite guests to commemorate their visit by taking a piece of the magic home. Blending new and nostalgia, the merchandise range will put a fun spin on the latest fashion trends and includes pieces inspired by retro designs and artwork from the 1971 grand opening of Walt Disney World Resort.
50th Anniversary celebration merchandise is available throughout the Walt Disney World Resort including Disney Springs. Select items will be carried at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels, Disneyland Resort and on shopDisney.com.
Here’s a first look at the collections:
EARidescent Shimmer Collection
The EARidescent Shimmer Collection draws inspiration from the iconic gold and blue turrets of Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom Park, reflecting the festive décor seen across Walt Disney World Resort as a part of the 50th anniversary celebration.
Disney Vault Balloon Collection
Longtime visitors of The Most Magical Place on Earth may recall the colorful balloon-patterned shopping bags used to package souvenirs purchased at Walt Disney World Resort in 1971. The DisneyVault Balloon Collection pays homage to the vintage Mickey Mouse balloon iconography from decades past.
New to the Celebration Collection
The Celebration Collection, which launched last fall at the start of the 50th anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World Resort, will expand to include brand new commemorative merchandise for the whole family.
Disney Vault Orange Bird Collection debuting later this spring!
The Disney Vault Orange Bird Collection pays tribute to Orange Bird, a favorite Disney character who has come to symbolize Florida and its legacy in the citrus industry. Orange Bird’s spunky personality shines through a range of groovy new products, inspired by the retro flower-power styles that rose in popularity during the early 1970s. The collection will debut later this spring.
Another hotel on Walt Disney World Resort property has sold for a massive price point.
New York-based real estate giant Tishman bought the 400-room Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek for $120.5 million on Monday, according to Orange County records. First reported by the Orlando Business Journal, this is a price of $301,250 per guest room.
The hotel opened in 2011 and is located at 14651 Chelonia Parkway on the southeastern end of Walt Disney World’s property.
The Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek is not an “official” Disney Resort property, but the hotel does offer shuttle services to the Disney Parks and is an official Disney Partner Hotel. While Disney Partner Hotels do not offer all the amenities of a Disney World Resort– like MagicBands– they do offer plenty of fun services and are conveniently located near Walt Disney World.
The Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek’s official website describes the hotel this way:
Set on 62 acres of family-fun, our resort ranks as one of the best hotels near Walt Disney World. Designed to be the ideal escape, guests enjoy a picturesque landscape and the tranquility of Blue Harmony Spa. Your stay includes five pools, our very own mini-golf course, two lazy rivers, and much more. The magical experience of Walt Disney World® Resort lives at Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek.
The other participating Official Disney Partner Hotels are: B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista, Best Western Lake Buena Vista, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando, Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Holiday Inn Orlando, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista, Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, Waldorf Astoria Orlando Bonnet Creek, Four Seasons Resort Orlando.
When Walt Disney decided to build a brand-new theme park in Central Florida, he knew he had to be secretive about it. Walt’s Disneyland Park was seeing massive success, and the ingenious creator knew that if people knew he was the one looking to buy land, the price he would pay would skyrocket. In order to keep things on the down-low, he created a number of shell companies to buy the land. Those shell companies would then be united as part of the Reedy Creek Improvement District with the passing of a government act in 1967.
Reedy Creek is technically its own little government. It has its own electric grid, its own medical services, and even its own Wi-Fi service. It has been nearly completely independent since 1967. During that time, things have been going well for both Disney and the state of Florida. Disney is one of the largest employers in the state, and Florida rakes in millions of dollars every year in Disney World tourism.
Unfortunately, the relationship between Disney and Florida has recently become incredibly strained. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the Parental Rights in Education Bill — which Disney was very vocal about being against. Disney has said they will work to repeal the bill, and DeSantis has said that Disney does not run the state.
Every day, it appears that the relationship between Disney and Florida falls apart a little more. It is now being reported that several Florida legislators are looking at repealing the Reedy Creek act that granted Disney its own government. According to ClickOrlando:
“In effect, they’re their own city out there. They can zone the way they want. They can do things the way they want. They can even build a nuclear power plant if they want,” News 6 political analyst Jim Clark said.
Those rights are now being discussed among some Florida lawmakers who are thinking about repealing the Reedy Creek Improvement Act of 1967.
“I think that this is a feud that is escalating into a war between Florida Republicans and the Disney corporation which is the largest single-site employer in Florida,” Clark said.
Richard Foglesong, a retired Rollins College political science professor and the author of Married to the Mouse, said he believes talks of revoking the act is just a way of the Republican party showing what they stand for, but no real change will come out of those discussions.
“If you ask me whether it’s politically possible to take these privileges away from the Disney company, I don’t think so,” Foglesong said. “I think that cooler minds will prevail and that this is really a shot across the bow to try to bring the Disney company, Mickey Mouse if you will, into line with Governor DeSantis. I thought it was more of March Madness of the political kind, the thought that the Republican Party, which used to be the party of business, would want to take on of their biggest donors.”
If Republican legislators try to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, it would most likely only make the relationship worse. Disney is currently planning to move thousands of employees to the state. Lake Nona, Florida is set to be the new Imagineering hub. Disney will receive major tax breaks for doing so, but Florida would also get millions of dollars. It is already rumored that Chapek is being pressured to stop the move, and if legislators try to follow through on their threat, that rumor could become reality.
Disney has not commented on the possible repeal at this time.
Yah-hoo, let’s eat! Get ready to clap your hands, stomp your feet and sing along, as the beloved musical dinner show Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue returns this summer to Walt Disney World Resort! Reservations will be available starting May 26 for showtimes beginning June 23.
The Pioneer Hall Players and Cast Members will be welcoming back Guests to this frontier-style family fun dining experience in Pioneer Hall at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. First debuting in 1974, Hoop-Dee-Doo will once again offer Guests a rousing Wild West performance, singing, zany vaudeville comedy with lots of laughs and an unforgettable countrified feast full of fried chicken, smoked BBQ ribs, a variety of savory sides and of course, strawberry shortcake!
Since its opening day almost 50 years ago, this fan-favorite show has continued to surprise and delight our Guests, and as Disney grows we look for new ways to elevate and enhance our classic experiences. Hoop-Dee-Doo will return with a few updates to its script and scenery, while staying true to the treasured experience the whole family can enjoy – with the hilarious, high-spirited entertainment that it’s been known for all these years.
Hoop-Dee-Doo holds a special place in the hearts of many Disney fans and Cast Members and has been creating special memories for generations. We’ve heard from so many Guests who are excited about the show’s return and we look forward to seeing the curtain rise once again!
The return of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is just the latest to make its grand return, joining other recent entertainment offerings like the “Festival of Fantasy” Parade, “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular”, “Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire” and even “Adventure Friends Cavalcade”! Other shows will be coming back later this year – including “Fantasmic!” and a fresh spin on a Guest favorite, “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!