Disney Halloween Merchandise Now Available at Disney Parks and shopDisney.com

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Disney Resorts

The Halloween season is in full gear at Walt Disney World and now Halloween merchandise is here for the spooky season. New items are available at Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort and shopDisney.com.

From a Disney Cast Member;

I don’t know about you, but once summer is over, I am officially in spooky prep mode! It’s hard to believe that Halloween is only a couple months away, so it’s not too early to start getting your closet ready with some spooktacular new looks to get into the spirit! Check out what’s available now and what to be on the lookout for at Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort and shopDisney.com.

Oh my gourd, you guys. Everyone knows that pumpkins belong with Halloween just like Minnie Mouse belongs with Mickey Mouse. That’s why this new Minnie Mouse Halloween Mini Loungefly backpack and Mickey and Minnie Mouse Pumpkin Spirit Jersey are the perfect combo to wear in the months leading up to our favorite October holiday- and beyond! To further accessorize, this sweet and spooky Mickey Mouse Jack-o-Lantern ear headband is perfectly haunting. All of these items are available on shopDisney, with many rolling out soon at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. You can get the cute and festive checkered Minnie Mouse Halloween ear headband at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, too!

If you want to brighten up your fun evening of trick or treating, you’ll want to snag a Happy Halloween Light-Up necklace, so you’ll glow wherever you go! Mickey Mouse has gone batty with this Halloween flannel shirt, which features a skull topped with a Mickey ear hat and surrounded by bats. It’s “Wicked Spooky!” This gourd-eous collection is available NOW at Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, and shopDisney.com.

“Hocus Pocus” has been my favorite Halloween movie since I was a little kid, so I am totally spellbound by this new “Hocus Pocus” Mini Loungefly backpack and “Hocus Pocus” Spirit Jersey. The Sanderson sisters have never looked this good! Gobble up these items now on shopDisney.com, and soon at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

The Haunted Mansion is pretty synonymous with Halloween, right? Well, it’s almost scary how wicked this Haunted Mansion Loungefly Crossbody Bag is, covered in ghoulish artwork and warnings inspired by the attraction. Tricked out in a Haunted Mansion Minnie Mouse Ear Headband (the ears are covered in the attraction’s signature wallpaper, accented with metal studs), Haunted Mansion jacket, and Haunted Mansion T-shirt, you’ll be treated to admiring glances everywhere you go. You don’t have to visit a “boo”-tique to add these hauntingly stylish items to add to your closet. They are already available at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, and later this month they’ll be on shopDisney.com too!

Available now on shopDisney.com and select stores at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort are wheelchair cover sets. Transform your chair and channel your inner royalty with a magical Cinderella’s Coach Wheelchair Cover Set. Or rev up your chair by transforming it into the Incredimobile! If you’d rather travel to infinity and beyond, you’ll want the Buzz Lightyear Spaceship Wheelchair Cover Set.

Keep all of your favorite Halloween Disney characters on hand—literally—with some wickedly gorgeous Pandora charms featuring Madame Leota from Disney’s Haunted Mansion, “Hocus Pocus,” Maleficent & Dragon, and Mickey Mouse pumpkin. Get one of these charms, or collect them all, coming soon to Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, and shopDisney.com.

Coming next month to Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort and shopDisney.com:

Does Disney and Pixar’s “Coco” tug at your heartstrings like it does mine? Well, starting next month, you can wear the film’s art on your sleeves! You’ll want to “remember” to buy this colorful long-sleeved shirt, vibrant leggings, and Mini Loungefly backpack. The stitching on the sleeve of the character Miguel with his guitar is just too cute.

Fans of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” rejoice! This new frightfully fabulous collection from the film favorite releases next month and includes an Oogie Boogie Mini Loungefly backpack, a ghoulish, glittering, Oogie Boogie Spirit Jersey, a “Nightmare Before Christmas” Denim Jacket with Jack Skellington decal, a “Nightmare Before Christmas” Minnie ear headband with translucent bow, and a “Nightmare Before Christmas” Mini Loungefly backpack with all-over print.

While you’re figuring out your own Halloween costume, don’t forget your Disney nuiMOs! Dress up your favorite little plush in these fabulous new Halloween outfits, and prepare to be obsessed with the new Jack Skellington and Sally Disney nuiMOs.

Go ahead and trick or treat yourself to some of these latest products from Disney parks. I think it’s going to be a great Halloween. I can feel it in my bones!

Disney’s Modified Character Dining Experiences

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Parks

Walt Disney World has been opened to guests now for a few months, but not all experiences are exactly the same as they were before.  One of the great experiences guests can choose to have at Walt Disney World is character dining; however, this is one encounter that has been slightly adjusted since reopening.  We look at what you need to know about charactering dining now at Walt Disney World.

Disney has brought characters to guests in a variety of ways through dining experiences. From the iconic Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary to new, unique experiences at Topolino’s Terrace at the Riviera, character dining has become a staple for many when visiting Walt Disney World and it can still be one even today.

What is Available?

The first thing to know is that not all character dining experiences are open at Walt Disney World currently.  Luckily Disney seems to be constantly updating and changing these options.  Each week it seems they are opening more options, but make sure to check the Know Before You Go guide from Disney to get the latest update.

Right now, guests have a few great options when it comes to dining.  Garden Grille at Epcot, Chef Mickey’s opening soon with characters at the Contemporary Resort, Topolino’s Terrace (breakfast) at Riviera as well as Minnie’s Halloween Dine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  

What Characters Do I See?

Right now, at Walt Disney World most character dining experiences are focused on what they call “fur” characters.  This unfortunately meals no princesses at the moment.  At Garden Grille, those crazy chipmunks can be seen as well as Mickey and Pluto.  Chef Mickey’s hasn’t officially opened yet, but previously this was a great spot for the Fab Five and we don’t expect that to change.  At Topolino’s, guests can enjoy some adorable costumes with Mickey, Minnie, Daisy and Donald.  Finally, at Minnie’s Halloween and Dine, guests get to see Minnie and friends in their fantastic Halloween costumes.  Even though the princesses aren’t currently out, guests have a lot of options to meet the main mouse and friends.

Modified Interactions

In order to keep guests and our favorite pals safe, Disney has modified how guests interact with characters during these meals.  Characters will now parade around the dining area multiple times allowing guests to take photos, videos, blow kisses and interact all from a distance.  Characters won’t stop at each table for a 1:1 interaction, but instead do more of a wave and walk as they pass by.  The good thing is they do this multiple times which allows guests to have multiple opportunities to take pictures.

Food Options

Another thing that has been adjusted during character meals is how food is presented. Those meals that used to be buffets have been modified into a family style meal or other option.  Know ahead of time that buffets aren’t happening right now in Disney.

Checking-in

Guests are also being asked to use mobile check-in for most dining experiences in Disney.  Guests can sign into their dining experience through the My Disney Experience app on their phone.  This is a great way to prevent guests from gathering at the host stand.  Guests can instead chill until being notified their table is ready for them.  It is fun to see how Disney is using technology to help keep guests and cast members safe.

Character dining is a must for many guests when heading to Walt Disney World and it still can be something that is on your list when visiting.  There are many great options that allow you to see and interact with your favorite characters from a distance.  Don’t hesitate to try out these character meals during your next visit to Walt Disney World, they are sure to be magical.

Change to Virtual Queue Process for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is the most popular attraction at Walt Disney World! Enjoying this attraction can prove difficult as you can’t simply just join the queue and line up. You must get a boarding pass by joining the Virtual Queue. Up until now, you were required to be in the park to gain access to the virtual queue. This process has changed since November 3, 2020.

From a Disney Cast Member;

It’s clear the Force is strong with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Since its debut last year, this spectacular experience inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has proven to be one of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World Resort.

To better help guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios plan ahead for their day at the park, we’re piloting a new approach to the virtual queue system for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Starting Nov. 3, 2020, here’s how it will work:

  • Guests with a valid ticket or annual pass and a Disney Park Pass reservation for Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be able to access the virtual queue system and check for an available boarding group starting at 7 a.m. on the day of their park reservation. This can be done before you leave your Disney resort hotel, or wherever else nearby you might be at that time.
  • Just as we do today, the virtual queue will reopen daily at 2 p.m. for anyone who wasn’t already able to join a boarding group earlier in the day. Note: Guests must be inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios to access this second virtual queue opportunity, and access to a boarding group is subject to availability and not guaranteed.

This new approach will make a day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios more enjoyable and relaxing, as guests no longer need to be inside the park each morning to request a boarding group for the first virtual queue opportunity. As a reminder, you need to be inside the park to request the 2 p.m. boarding groups.

To try to maximize the number of boarding groups we’re able to accommodate while adhering to current health and safety guidelines, we recently added a clear barrier between the two rows of seats on each First Order Fleet Transport vehicle inside the attraction (see below for photos). This enables us to invite more guests to board Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance each day.

The attraction’s virtual queue is only accessible via the My Disney Experience mobile app. To maximize your opportunity to secure a boarding group, here are some tips we recommend you check off your list prior to your day at the park:

  • Register an account in My Disney Experience
  • Download the My Disney Experience mobile app on your smart device or ensure you’re using the most updated version of the app before you arrive at the park.
  • Link and assign all park tickets in your party to a My Disney Experience account
  • Have a valid Disney Park Pass reservation for Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the day you’re visiting
  • Select one member of your party to access the virtual queue for everyone in your group; if multiple people in your party try to join the virtual queue simultaneously, that may complicate your ability to secure a boarding group
  • Remember, virtual queue boarding groups are limited and subject to availability

This new pilot approach to the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance virtual queue is designed to give guests the best possible experience during a day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We look forward to seeing you on your next trip to a galaxy far, far away.

Virtual Queue Booking Windows Reduced for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Starting July 24

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

Walt Disney World recently debuted a modified virtual queue system for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with three opportunities to book at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. Starting Friday, July 24, opportunities to join the queue will be reduced, and will only be available at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m, due to issues with capacity. You can read the full update below.

Since Disney’s Hollywood Studios reopened, we’ve received questions about why the virtual queue fills so quickly each day. 

As you’ve also heard here on the Disney Parks Blog, new health-and-safety measures include limiting theme park attendance and implementing new measures to promote physical distancing. This includes requiring extra space between groups in queues and on attraction vehicles. With all of this in mind, we are not able to accommodate as many people on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as we could before we implemented physical distancing.

For guests with a Disney Park Pass reservation to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the attraction will continue to have limited availability accessible through the My Disney Experience app virtual queue. Starting Friday, July 24, guests will have an opportunity at either 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. to join the virtual queue. These two opportunities are intended to give guests more flexibility in their planning, and are also a way to further support physical distancing. 

RISE OF THE RESISTANCE — Disney guests will traverse the corridors of a Star Destroyer and join an epic battle between the First Order and the Resistance – including a face-off with Kylo Ren – when Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opens Dec. 5, 2019 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Jan. 17, 2020 at Disneyland Resort in California. At 14 acres each, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios is Disney’s largest single-themed land expansion ever. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)

Here are more details to be aware of before you arrive:

  • First, make sure you have the My Disney Experience app. Once you enter the park, log in to your account at one of the distribution times (10 a.m. or 2 p.m.).
  • Once you have logged in, select “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Virtual Queue” on the home screen. You will be able to view the current status and next steps for joining the virtual queue. 
  • The app will indicate when there is no availability for a specific distribution time. Some guests may join backup groups. 
  • As long as your My Disney Experience account is linked to park tickets for you and the others in your group, you can enroll everyone in the virtual queue at the same time. In order to give as many guests as possible the opportunity to join the Resistance, each guest can enter the virtual queue no more than once per day.
  • Make sure push notifications are turned on for My Disney Experience so you will be alerted if your group is called to return. You’ll have up to an hour from the time of the alert to go to the entrance of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. 
  • Guests who are enrolled in the virtual queue will be able to see an estimated return time indicating when they may be called back to experience the attraction. This time may change throughout the day, so continue to check the app for updates. Also, the tip boards around the park will display the boarding groups that have been called back.
  • Please note that joining the virtual queue does not guarantee the ability to experience Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. 

Disney Releases Details on Revised Virtual Queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is reopening on July 15. One of the biggest questions still needing to be answered was how Disney was going to handle the virtual queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Disney has provided an update!

Here are all the details from a Disney Cast Member:

“As we look forward to reopening Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park tomorrow, our cast members are also preparing for the reopening of EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15.

For guests with upcoming Disney Park Pass reservations to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we wanted to share an update about Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which will once again be using virtual queue in the My Disney Experience app. If you’ve joined the Resistance before, you will want to note a few changes to the process beginning July 15. Most importantly – as availability allows – guests will have an opportunity at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. to request to join the virtual queue. This means there is no need to arrive early to the park to check the virtual queue.

Whether it’s your first trip to Batuu or you have joined the fight against the First Order before, there are a few important details to know before you arrive:

  • First, make sure you have the My Disney Experience app. Once you enter the park, log in to your account at one of the distribution times (10 a.m., 1 p.m. or 4 p.m.).
  • Once you have logged in, select “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Virtual Queue” on the home screen. You will be able to view the current status and next steps for joining the virtual queue.
  • The app will indicate when there is no availability for a specific distribution time. Some guests may join backup groups.
  • As long as your My Disney Experience account is linked to park tickets for you and the others in your group, you can enroll everyone in the virtual queue at the same time. In order to give as many guests as possible the opportunity to join the Resistance, each guest can enter the virtual queue no more than once per day.
  • Make sure push notifications are turned on for My Disney Experience so you will be alerted if your group is called to return. You’ll have up to an hour from the time of the alert to go to the entrance of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
  • Please note that joining the virtual queue does not guarantee the ability to experience Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

If you have any questions or need assistance with joining the virtual queue, cast members at Guest Experience Team locations throughout the park are available to assist. While you wait for your virtual queue group to be called, you can enjoy other experiences at Disney’s Hollywood Studios including our newest addition, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

RISE OF THE RESISTANCE — Disney guests will traverse the corridors of a Star Destroyer and join an epic battle between the First Order and the Resistance – including a face-off with Kylo Ren – when Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opens Dec. 5, 2019 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Jan. 17, 2020 at Disneyland Resort in California. At 14 acres each, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios is Disney’s largest single-themed land expansion ever. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is one of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World Resort, and we know many of our guests are familiar with using virtual queue to experience this one-of-a-kind adventure. For other attractions at Walt Disney World Resort, we plan to use our regular standby queues to manage capacity and to maintain physical distancing.

We can’t wait to welcome you back to the magic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Walt Disney World Resort!”