Disney World Announces the Long-Awaited Return of Popular Event

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Walt Disney World Resort has its share of events and activities throughout the year. This year, an epic event will return to Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Theme Park in Orlando, Florida.

According to the Walt Disney World website, the EPCOT Theme Park allows Guests to “celebrate the stories that connect people and cultures around the world.”  

If you’ve never been to EPCOT, it’s similar to other Parks with divided sections, each devoted to a particular theme. Each area of the Park celebrates a different part of the world. Guests explore the World Showcase to experience rides, foods, and cultures based on that part of the world. 

One of the most famous areas of EPCOT includes the Frozen Ever After attraction, located in the Norway pavilion. Fairly recently, Walt Disney World added two more rides in EPCOT. Be sure to check out Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France, which opened in 2021. The newest attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy : Cosmic Rewind in the World Discovery section, opened up this past May 2022.

EPCOT is no exception to Disney World festivals, parades, and events. There are plenty that pop up throughout the year. One EPCOT festival that is making a return in 2023 is the International Festival of the Arts.

Walt Disney World‘s International Festival of the Arts will take place from January 13 through February 20, 2023.

EPCOT International Festival of the Arts Performing Arts

This celebration is specifically for fine arts, such as the performing arts, culinary arts, and visual arts.

EPCOT cooks up some colorful, exotic treats to celebrate the culinary arts. The World Showcase will set up art galleries with artwork varying from paintings to sculptures and photography, all featuring talented artists from all over the world. Kids can participate in the fun with activities like painting!

Disney on Broadway Concert Series

Attendees can enjoy an extra magical musical lineup as well. Disney recently announced the performances in store for the Broadway Spectacular . Live entertainment starring performers from Disney Broadway shows such as Frozen, Aladdin, and The Lion King will take place at the America Gardens Theatre in EPCOT

Disney Channel Set to Cease All Broadcasts, Effective This Month

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+

In an unexpected turn of events, Disney Channel is set to cease all its broadcasts, effective this month.

The Walt Disney Company is undoubtedly one of the most important entertainment companies worldwide. The multi-million-dollar corporation owns Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios, in addition to Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Studios, making it easy to see why The Walt Disney Company is one of the most influential creators of entertainment content, from movies to documentaries, series, tv shows, and animation. In fact, Disney+ was changed forever by fans just months ago.

While Disney+ is slowly becoming Disney’s most important content output, with dozens of new series, shorts, movies, specials, documentaries, and so much more being released every month, many of us grew up watching the Disney Channel on TV. With shows like The Proud Family (2001-2005), Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004), The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005-2008), Phineas and Ferb (2007-2015), Hannah Montana (2006-2011), That’s So Raven (2003-2007), Even Stevens (2000-2003), Kim Possible (2002-2007), and so many more, Disney Channel was undoubtedly an essential part of millions of fans’ childhoods.

Unfortunately, it has recently been reported that Disney Channel will cease all broadcasts in Russia starting on December 14, 2022. Per the report, Disney Channel will be replaced by a new children’s channel called “Solntse,” which means “sun” in Russian. The reason for this cease of operations was not stated in the report. The cancellation of the Disney Channel comes as The Walt Disney Company revealed eye-watering news about Disney+.

Earlier this year, The Walt Disney Company halted all Russian releases, condemning the “unprovoked invasion” of Ukraine, which perhaps played a role in the development of this decision. This halt included content and product licensing, but it was reported that some channels would take time to pause their operations due to contractual nuances.

Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse

Disney Channel was first approved to broadcast in Russia in 2010 and aired Disney shows, animations, and films.

Disney+, The Walt Disney Company’s streaming platform, is also currently unavailable in Russia, meaning Disney fans in this country will significantly struggle if they want to enjoy content released by the company.

Disney Announces Return Date For Popular Parade!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

In February 2020, Guests visiting Disneyland Park were treated to a brand-new parade called Magic Happens. The new show premiered on February 28, 2020, and featured fun music, gorgeous costumes, and floats representing hit Disney movies like Moana to classic tales like The Sword in the Stone. Unfortunately, just a couple of weeks after the show premiered, Disneyland Resort was forced to close its gates due to the rapidly spreading coronavirus.

The parade has remained backstage since the theme park reopened in April 2021, but Disney announced back in September at the D23 Expo that the Magic Happens parade would be coming back. And now we finally know when!

Disney Parks shared on Twitter that Magic Happens will be returning to Disneyland Park on February 24, 2023!

Were you unable to make it to The Happiest Place on Earth during the few weeks the show was at Disneyland? Here’s more information on what you missed (but can soon enjoy).

As part of the Disney100 Celebration at Disneyland Resort, celebrate the return of this unforgettable spectacle that reminds us you don’t need wings to fly, shooting stars are for wishes and magic doesn’t end at midnight!

With a wave of his wand, Mickey Mouse leads a cavalcade of fabulous floats, whimsically costumed performers and popular Disney pals around the park and into your hearts—all while moving to a high-energy contemporary musical score that puts a spin on classic Disney hits. In addition, a stirring song co-composed by singer-songwriter Todrick Hall brings some of your favorite Disney tales to life like never before.

Watch Moana ride the crest of a beautiful wave in her voyager canoe, followed by Coco’s guitar-strumming Miguel joined by his dog Danté and other fantastical spirit animals and behold the enchanted forest from Frozen 2 as Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven pass by. The parade’s grand finale commemorates memorable moments from Disney classics in an incredible procession that’s not to be missed!

You can also watch the complete parade by clicking here or by watching the video below.

Magic Happens will be returning to Disneyland Resort as part of The Walt Disney Company’s 100th Anniversary celebration. The anniversary will kick off on January 27, 2023. Sleeping Beauty Castle will receive a festive makeover, there will be new food and beverage offerings, and there will be TWO new nighttime spectaculars — Wondrous Journeys at Disneyland Park and World of Color – One at Disney California Adventure Park.

Disney World Releases First Look at New ‘Little Mermaid’ Themed Hotel Rooms!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Resorts

Earlier this year, it was announced that the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort were being discontinued, and the rooms would be redesigned. The rooms fit in well with the laid-back tropical theme of the hotel, and the small details made the rooms truly immersive, but the rooms were not as popular as Disney had hoped — due to their higher price and their distance from the food and merchandise areas of Caribbean Beach.

Now we are getting a first look at the new rooms, and they don’t take Guests onboard a pirate ship. Instead, they take them under the sea! That’s right, the new rooms are themed after the hit Disney film The Little Mermaid.

Disney shared a first look at the new Little Mermaid-themed rooms on its Walt Disney World Cast and Community Facebook page.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort recently added some fin-tastic touches to guest rooms in the Trinidad area of the resort, and cast members were excited to be the first to “sea” them! These new 5th sleeper rooms accommodate more guests and feature special touches inspired by the timeless story “The Little Mermaid.” They are among the newest of the ongoing enhancements happening at our Resort hotels all around Walt Disney World! #DisneyCastLife 🦀 🌊 🌴

Haven’t stayed at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort before? Here’s more on the laid-back tropical paradise that transports you right to the islands, while being close to both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. 

Discover a world where life slows to a leisurely pace and worries melt away amidst Calypso rhythms. Awash with vibrant colors and lush landscapes, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort transports Guests to a relaxing paradise that captures the essence of 5 distinct islands: Barbados, Jamaica, Martinique, Trinidad and Aruba. Celebrate the spirit of the Caribbean with blissful sights and fun-filled activities—including colonial forts, lively markets, pristine beaches, splashy florals and swaying hammocks—sure to awaken the imagination

At this time, we do not know when the new Little Mermaid rooms will be available for booking. The Walt Disney World Resort website allows bookings up through May 18, 2023, and the site has not updated the rooms, so it still says that the Pirate Rooms are unavailable. 

Disney Dining will keep an eye out and let readers know when the Little Mermaid rooms open up for Guests. 

Disney Is Listening In: Alexa Resort Room Testing Begins

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Disney Resorts

Visiting Walt Disney World as a Resort Hotel Guest? Take note, as Disney has revealed, it is beginning to test its brand new “Hey Disney!” feature via the Alexa platform.

Walt Disney World Resort is promoting “A More Magical Stay Starts with “Hey Disney!” – its brand new high-technology offering that will feature an Alexa in Disney Resort Hotel rooms.

As shared below by @ScottGustin, Guests currently staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort have been informed “Hey Disney” testing has officially begun at the Deluxe Hotel:

Disney previously announced this new feature was on the way to its Resorts, but this is the first testing we have seen. Here’s one of the first announcements of the Amazon Echo device from September 2021:

With a simple “Hey Disney,” Guests can ask the in-room Alexa to set a wake-up call message with Mickey Mouse and friends, order more towels to arrive in their room, ask “Hey Disney” to tell jokes, Disney trivia, and stories, as well as experience interactive experiences with characters from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and the Muppets.

Furthermore, if you don’t have the My Disney Experience App pulled up at the moment on your phone, “Hey Disney” can easily answer Disney Park questions. Guests can ask the Alexa things such as, “Hey Disney, when is Disney’s Animal Kingdom closing today?” and “Hey Disney” will respond with the answer.

With “Hey Disney” featuring the Amazon Alexa platform, are you a Disney Resort Guest that wants to have Disney listening into your conversations… just awaiting the “Hey Disney” words?

The good news is while many Resort Guests will enjoy this addition, Disney has said this complimentary feature is also an OPTIONAL new Guest perk.

This may be the first time we’ve seen Disney testing “Hey Disney,” but when Walt Disney World Resort opened its newest Hotel experience, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, it too featured a test program similar to “Hey Disney” with advanced voice-assistance technology in driod form.

Check out all the details here about this latest in-room technology, “Hey Disney!,” coming soon to all Disney Resort Hotels.