Disney Announces New MagicBand+

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

In the long list of technological innovations that Disney has introduced over the years to enhance the guest experience at Walt Disney World, the introduction of MagicBands is certainly up toward the top of the list. We love using them! This morning, Disney announced the introduction of a new generation of MagicBands that adds brand new functionality and takes interactivity to an entirely new level.

Innovation is essential to The Walt Disney Company story, dating back to its inception nearly a century ago. As Walt Disney once said, “We’ll always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and new systems.” Well, that promise will come true once again next year when Walt Disney World Resort releases our next-generation wearable technology, MagicBand+.

The original MagicBand was introduced in 2013 at Walt Disney World, making the guest experience in our theme parks and resorts more convenient and hands-free for things like park and guest room entry, retail and dining, Disney PhotoPass and more. MagicBand+ will retain those popular features and add functionality that unlocks new moments of magic for you.

After you enter a theme park, MagicBand+ will come alive at various times with color-changing lights, haptic vibrations, and gesture recognition. The wearable will allow you to engage with favorite Disney moments in new ways, including:

    • Play like a bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away and find virtual bounties throughout Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
    • Interact with the “Disney Fab 50 Character Collection,” the golden sculptures spread throughout the Walt Disney World theme parks.
    • Experience nighttime spectaculars in a new way as you see your band light up and complement the magic in the skies, including the new “Harmonious” at EPCOT and “Disney Enchantment” at Magic Kingdom Park.

MagicBand+ will be available for purchase beginning next year, including a discounted, pre-arrival price for Disney Resort hotel guests as well as new and renewing Walt Disney World Annual Passholders. Current MagicBands will continue to be available, too, along with the complimentary Disney MagicMobile service that extends MagicBand features, such as park entry, to smart devices.

MagicBand+ will help immerse you in Disney stories and connect with characters you love like never before. We’ll have more to share about this exciting new technology in the future. And be sure to check out all our coverage of the Walt Disney World 50th anniversary, because “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” begins tomorrow!

Celebrate Hispanic Latinx Heritage Month at Disney World

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts

Walt Disney World is celebrating Hispanic Latinx Heritage Month! Catch all the details below on how you can join in on the celebration.

From a Disney Cast Member;

I’m very proud to be a Hispanic/Latinx cast member at Walt Disney World Resort and that’s one of the reasons why I’m always excited to share the different events and opportunities we have to celebrate our cultures with all of you. As part of Hispanic Latinx Heritage Month we are happy to announce the multiple ways you can celebrate across Walt Disney World Resort through food, music, and more! Because, after all, “Together We Are Magia!”

As you may have heard, Miguel and Dante from Disney and Pixar’s “Coco” are a part of the “Disney Fab 50 Character Collection” – golden sculptures coming to all four parks as part of the Walt Disney World 50th anniversary celebration – and you can see these two amigos in EPCOT.

Here are more ways you can celebrate Hispanic Latinx Heritage Month throughout the Walt Disney World Resort:

THEME PARKS

Head over to the Mexico pavilion at EPCOT and stop by the Mexico Folk Art Gallery. Don’t forget to enjoy something delicioso to eat and drink. The pavilion’s world-famous San Angel Inn restaurant will showcase San Pascual Award-winning chef, Federico A. Lopez and his menu representing regional Mexican foods from Oct. 1 – Dec 31.

You can also take in a performance from Mariachi Cobre who’ve added songs from “Coco” to their show at the America Gardens Theater.

If you visit during the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival that runs through Nov. 20, try the Chimichurri-up Offense at Flavors from Fire Hosted by The NFL on ESPN or the Crispy Pig Ear Salad at The Swanky Saucy Swine. From Oct. 1 – 4, you can see the band Latin Ambition do a special performance at The American Gardens Theater.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, be sure to try the brand new Colombian Hot Dog at Fairfax Fare Counter, or at Magic Kingdom Park, see Princess Elena in the cavalcade in “A Royal Princess Processional”.

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, the signature restaurant Tiffins offers food items inspired by Imagineers’ travels to Oaxaca, Mexico, including Sweet Corn Soup and Charred Octopus. For something to eat on the go, stop by The Smiling Crocodile and grab some Street Corn Tacos, which pay homage to the tacos found in the markets and thoroughfares of Mexico City.  To satisfy your sweet tooth, stop by Nomad Lounge for their delicious churros!

RESORTS

Guests staying at a Disney Resort Hotel can end the night with la familia watching Movies Under the Stars.  The resorts will show several movies inspired by Latin culture and Hispanic and Latinx talent – featuring “Elena and the Secret of Avalor,” “Coco,” and more!

Hotels at Walt Disney World Resort will also be serving up Latin-inspired food, including Pork Tacos with marinated mango and a Warm Manchego cheese dip at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort’s Three Bridges – Villa de Lago, Pork Ropa Vieja at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, and Shrimp Tacos at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

DISNEY SPRINGS

Disney Springs is also celebrating Hispanic Latinx Heritage Month with entertainment, food, and plenty of shopping. Throughout the month, enjoy lively performances by La Calle, a Latin Pop band featuring a high-energy interactive-style show that seamlessly blends music and dance. You’ll also hear Nicholas Marks – known as the “Jimi Hendrix” of Flamenco music – blending American Pop music with the rich and fiery Spanish Flamenco beat and rhythm.

If food is the way to your corazón, Disney Springs is proud to feature three Hispanic and Latinx culinary Cast Members who have created their own unique dishes inspired by their personal heritage: Alex Cabrera’s Tres Leches at Amorette’s Patisserie, Jose Rodriguez’s Tripleta Burger at D-Luxe Burger and Oscar Prieto’s Tostones at Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar. 

Featured visiting food truck, Cilantro Urban Eatery celebrates Latin Street Food offering infused Venezuelan, Puerto Rican, Mexican and American cuisine including burritos, rice bowls, urban tacos, salads, and quesadillas. These offerings join guest favorites Jaleo by José Andrés and Frontera Cocina by Rick Bayless, available year-round at Disney Springs.

While you’re shopping this month, you might discover something special that celebrates the diversity and artistry of the Hispanic and Latinx community. An artist spotlight series features a focus on Hispanic and Latinx producers, directors, and animators working on Walt Disney Animation Studios upcoming film “Encanto” at The Art of Disney. You’ll also find crystal and porcelain giftware from Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers, soccer gear from Pelé Soccer, hand-rolled Cuban cigars from Sosa Cigars, and jewelry handcrafted by Spanish artists at UNOde50.

Celebrating Hispanic Latinx Heritage Month at Walt Disney World Resort reminds us that “Together We Are Magia,” and we can’t wait to share all of the magic with all of you!

Disney Announces Big Change to Rise of Resistance

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

Since its debut, Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been one of the most popular attractions Disney has ever developed with demand significantly exceeding ride capacity. The demand has been so high that Disney employed a virtual queue to manage the flow of guests through the attractions. Today Disney announced upcoming changes that every guest should be aware of.

From Disney:

From bright suns to rising moons, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge continues to call travelers to the magic of Batuu, especially with the excitement of Walt Disney World Resort’s 18-month anniversary celebration getting closer and closer. As we ramp up to The World’s Most Magical Celebration honoring our 50th anniversary, we’re continuing to enhance experiences thanks to the feedback from our Guests.

We know our Guests love choice and flexibility when planning their time in a theme park—which is why, starting September 23, we will pause the use of virtual queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios may experience this incredible attraction using a traditional standby queue for the first time since it opened in 2019.

Virtual queues continue to be helpful with attraction access, merchandise launches, grand openings and more, and Guests should continue to check the My Disney Experience app for the latest on how we’re using virtual queues across Walt Disney World Resort including its potential use at Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at a later date, or from time to time.

In addition to virtual queues, we’ve been investing a lot into the Guest experience in other ways, including exciting new attractions on the horizon like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opening soon at EPCOT, and coming this fall, the new Disney Genie complimentary and convenient digital planning service designed to create your best Disney Day.

So, are you ready to rise up with the Resistance like never before? Whether it’s their first time visitng the Black Spire Outpost or their 50th, we can’t wait to welcome our Guests on their next trip to a galaxy far, far away.

“Frozone” Joining Disney Fab 50 Character Collection

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

A gold statue of Frozone from The Incredibles and Incredibles 2 will be on display at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this fall as part of the Disney Fab 50 Character Collection.

Composer Michael Giacchino helped announce Frozone’s inclusion in the collection.

change To opening procedures at Hollywood Studios

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

By now, you’ve probably heard about the unusually low attendance numbers at Walt Disney World recently.  In fact, crowds are the lowest they have been since the parks first reopened in July 2020.

September is usually a great time to visit Walt Disney World with regard to crowds; attendance is typically not overly high. But what makes the recent dip in crowd numbers different is that the lull in attendance seems to have been going on for a few weeks now.

Is it because people don’t feel as safe at the parks since the Delta variant of the coronavirus is running rampant? Have would-be Guests canceled their plans because they have heard so much about Central Florida’s high incidence of COVID cases? Or are they simply waiting until October so they can experience the parks during the actual 50th anniversary?

It’s really anyone’s guess, but what we do know is that attendance is low right now, and those low numbers have prompted Disney’s Hollywood Studios to make some changes to its park opening procedures. You may remember that rope drop at Hollywood made a comeback recently. Traditional rope drop usually has Guests waiting at different spots before the park opens, depending on which attraction they plan to experience first.

Before rope drop returned, social distancing was the name of the game, so Guests weren’t strictly held in certain areas in an effort to reduce large gatherings in small areas. Instead, it was possible to head into the park and start experiencing that Hollywood magic up to an hour before it formally opened, as long as you didn’t need to park a vehicle, which Guests couldn’t do until the park was officially opened.

And now, in true Disney fashion, an extra helping of the Magic is being handed out to Guests of Hollywood Studios!

Rope drop as we know it is not in place at Hollywood at this time (though we know that can change without warning), so Guests aren’t being made to wait in specific locations while they wait for the imaginary rope to drop. Instead, lately, even though the posted opening time for the park is 9:00 a.m., the attractions are up and running a half-hour before then, and Guests are welcome to get their Golden Age of Hollywood day started 30 minutes earlier!