Tag Archives: news

Disney News September 2015

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Here is your September 2015 Disney news round up!

The biggest news this week is that this will be the final year for The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. While it will be very sad to see them go the best part is that Disney is giving notice. So if you had wanted to see them one last time or for the first time this will be your last chance. The Osborne Lights start in early November and will conclude on January 3, 2016. This change is due to the upcoming Toy Story Land and Star Wars themed land coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

nnnoojjj382012Photo via Disney Parks Blog.

If you are coming to see the lights there are two new seasonal offerings. The first is the Merry & Bright Dessert Party from November 6 to December 30. This will include holiday themed desserts. Next is the Merry & Bright Dinner Reception which is January 1-3, 2016. It will feature a selection of small bites like beef, shrimp, and turkey as well as beer, wine, and specialty beverages.  Reservations can be made starting September 16.

Let’s hop over to the west coast with news of a new Frozen inspired stage musical for Disney’s California Adventure Park. This show it due out in summer 2016 at the Hyperion Theater. Which means this show will be replacing the current Disney’s Aladdin- A Musical Spectacular” much to the sadness of many Disney fans. Aladdin will be finished on January 10, 2016.

dad930344Photo via Disney Parks Blog.

If you have ever been to Walt Disney World for Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival and enjoy cooking, I have the thing for you!  A cookbook for the last 20 years of Food and Wine Festival.  Disney has even posted some of the recipes on their blog if you would like to try out a few of them before buying!  http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/09/new-cookbook-celebrates-20-years-of-epcot-international-food-wine-festival/

Lastly, there is a new special event at Walt Disney World, Ferrytale Wishes: A Fireworks Dessert Cruise.  This cruise will take in the Wishes fireworks from a ferry on the Seven Seas Lagoon and feature plenty of sweat treats taken from resorts and the parks with the music piped into the ferry.  It finishes with a toast of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in a souvenir glow glass.  Prices are $99 for adults and $69 for children 3-9 and reservations are available.

FTWDC79731Photo via Disney Parks Blog.

 

Disney Cruise Line News Round Up May 2015

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Photo via Disney Parks Blog

Photo via Disney Parks Blog

*Disney recently announced fall 2016 sailings and the biggest excitement was the return to New York! Along with the Big Apple Disney will be sailing from Miami Fl and Galveston TX.

The sailings from New York to the Bahamas includes a stop at Walt Disney World and includes a park hopper ticket plus round trip transportation. And of course since you are in the Bahamas a trip to Castaway Cay is in order.

Also there will be one five night sailing to Canada with stops in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Saint John, New Brunswick.

In Miami, they are now offering seven night sailings to the Western and Eastern Caribbean and all will include a stop at Castaway Cay.

Galveston will also feature seven night sailings for the Bahamas and Western Caribbean and even a four night to Cozumel, Mexico.

These booking open May 20th so get with your trusty travel agent to get yourself booked!

*River Cruising was announced earlier this year by Disney and they have now added two more sailings for 2016. The first is a seven night Budapest, Hungary to Vilshofen, Germany on the Danube. It includes stops in Slovakia and Austria.

*Halloween on the High Seas for 2015 has been announced!

  • Dream: Sept 7 – Oct 30
  • Fantasy: Sept 5 – Oct 31
  • Magic: Oct 4 – 28
  • Wonder: Oct 1 – 23

Here are some of the activities according to Disney Cruise Line’s website:

  • Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party, an atrium party scare-a-bration (in addition to Pirate Night) with ghoulish games, trick-or-treating, dancing and some favorite Disney Pals in their Halloween attire
  • Halloween-themed activities for all ages, including mask-making and pumpkin-carving
  • Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing and Scream, an interactive movie experience where you’re part of the action, followed by a meet-and-greet with Jack and Sally
  • Haunted Stories of the Sea – a campfire-style storytelling experience on the deck
  • Halloween Isn’t Just for Kids – an adults-only party that includes a costume contest

epcot

*The Very Merrytime Cruises for 2015 have also been announced!

  • Dream: Nov 9 – Dec 24
  • Fantasy: Nov 14 – Dec 19
  • Magic: Nov 11 – Dec 23
  • Wonder: Nov 6 – Dec 24

Here are some of the activities to look forward to if you sail during this time:

  • Deck the Deck Tropical Holiday Party, a celebration in addition to Pirate Night, with candy-cane limbo, dancing and games
  • Tree Lighting Ceremony, where kids can help light the tree and kick off the holiday festivities
  • Santa Claus meet-and-greet, an exciting opportunity to take family pictures and see Santa and his elves
  • Meet-and-Greets with some favorite Disney Characters, dressed in their holiday attire
  • Teen-only and tween-only holiday parties—private celebrations where teens and tweens can hang out with new friends
  • Holiday storytelling, with new and old tales about holidays at sea and around the world
  • Themed activities and crafts for kids—decorate stockings, make holiday cards, go on a holiday scavenger hunt and more
  • A life-sized gingerbread house made completely with edible ingredients—and the opportunity to make your own gingerbread house
  • Holiday merchandise available for this event

*October 4-24, 2015 the Disney Dream will go into dry dock and there will be some really exciting changes coming to the ship. There will be a new Star Wars themed area, a candy store insprired by Wreck it Ralph and the addition of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique! But Disney didn’t forget the adults, they will also be adding Satellite Falls to the Dream, this is an adults only area sure to please.

dream dry dock 2 dream dry dock

*With the coming addition of a Rapunzel stage show we just don’t know what we are most excited about! 2015 and 2016 are going to be the best time to take a Disney Cruise!

February News Roundup

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While we post News as it happens on our Dole Whipped Facebook Page, sometimes it’s good to have all that’s been happening listed neatly in once place! So without further ado, the February Disney news roundup:

1) Be Our Guest restaurant at Disney’s Magic Kingdom will begin taking reservations for lunch starting February 25th. It has been confirmed by Disney Parks Blog that Be Our Guest lunch will remain a Quick Service entitlement on the dining plan and you’ll be able to pre-order your lunch choices starting at 30 days prior to your reservation. There are still rampant rumors (including a leaked menu) that breakfast will soon begin to be served at Be Our Guest as well. As soon as that rumor turns into actual news we’ll be sure to let you know!

2) The golden carriage used in Disney’s upcoming Cinderella movie is on display at Hollywood Studios! The carriage will be up for a short period after the movie’s March 13 premiere, leaving Hollywood Studios on April 11th, so if you’re at Walt Disney World before then be sure to check it out! (source)

3) Disneyland attraction “Luigi’s Flying Tires” will be permanently closed effective February 16th. Details are vague on the new attraction that will be taking its place, expected to open at the beginning of 2016.

4) An all new Frozen short film will debut at the beginning of Disney’s live action Cinderella movie! The short is 7 minutes long and features (of course!) a “catchy” song sure to make fans of Frozen happy. I personally can’t wait to see this! (source)

5) The interactive portion of Peter Pan’s Flight’s new queue opened at the end of January! See a video here.

6) Disney World’s newest Starbucks location, The Trolley Car Cafe,  has opened at Hollywood Studios! See photos here.

Which Disney news are you most excited about? Tell us here in the comments or head to our Facebook page! 

Early 2015 Walt Disney World News

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Some changes coming to Disney early this year!

1. The last day to see the iconic Mickey sorcerer hat at the center of Hollywood Studios will be this Friday January 6th! On the 7th construction walls will be put up surrounding the hat and then the process to dismantle it will begin. When construction in the area is finished there will be an unobstructed view of the soon-to-be refurbished Great Move Ride.

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2. Another stage of construction at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is now complete. At the end of December the new lobby was unveiled in the Great Ceremonial House. The rest of the construction should be completed by fall 2015.

3. In news that all of us here at Dole Whipped are very excited about, it has been announced that the Dole Whip is coming to Sunshine Tree Terrace at the Magic Kingdom! This is great news, one more option to get our pineapple fix when the lines at Aloha Isle are very long!

4. The Frozen themed castle show at Magic Kingdom, “A Frozen Holiday Wish” has been extended through January 12th. Each night at 6:30 p.m. you can catch the stage show featuring Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and more, followed by fireworks!

5. Disney Parks has announced a new sweepstakes, a 4-night getaway at the Walt Disney World Resort including a one night stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite! Enter here.

‘Frozen’ News Round Up

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The rumors that Maelstrom in the Norway Pavilion in Epcot was going to be changed into a Frozen attraction have proved to be true. In a statement made by the Disney Parks Blog, Maelstrom will be sailing on its final voyage October 5, 2014. The new attraction is slated to open early 2016. The Norway Pavilion will also have a royal meet and greet with the sisters from Frozen (yes another meet and greet for Anna and Elsa!). In the meantime the pavilion will still be open during construction.

Photo courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

Photo courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

Because of the popularity of the Frozen Summer Fun Live at Hollywood Studios some aspects of this are being extended. For the First Time in Forever: A ‘Frozen’ Sing-Along Celebration, is presented up to 10 times per day at the Premiere Theater on Streets of America. This fun and interactive show has been extended indefinitely. Another item extended is Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and Frozen Funland. It will move September 28, 2014 from Soundstage One to a new location in Streets of America near the exit of the Backlot Tour.  The new location will allow the play area to be much larger. This is also the place to get your frozen merchandise as well.

If you are going down for the Christmas holiday season you will be able to see some of the Frozen characters at the Magic Kingdom. Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf will be in Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade as well as some ice cutters and ice skaters. This parade runs during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on select nights in November and December and then daily from December 20-31, 2014.

Starting November 5, 2014 and running through the end of the year, Anna and Elsa will be in a new show in front of Cinderella Castle, showing nightly. This will feature Queen Elsa using her powers to transform the castle into an ice palace.

Disney News for August 2014

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Plenty of changes happening at Walt Disney World. Here is a round-up of the news as of August 2014!

Big changes for entertainment in the World Showcase in Epcot. Off Kilter, Mo’Rockin’, Spirit of America Fife and Drum Corps, and World Showcase Players. There will be new entertainment including traditional Berber music and dance troupe in Morocco, Celtic folk music ensemble in the United Kingdom, flag waving performers in Italy, and a lumberjack inspired show in Canada. The last performances will be taking place September 25 for the World Showcase Players and September 27 for the rest.

The American Idol Experience at Hollywood Studios is closing much sooner than originally reported. This attraction was slated to close permanently in January 2015, but will actually be closing August 29, 2014 30, 2014.

The Festival of the Masters an open-air fine arts festival which was scheduled for Nov 8-10 has been cancelled for this year, 2014. Due to the expansion of Downtown Disney and its change to Disney Springs there isn’t enough room to host the event this year.

The Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! will be changing this fall into the Move It! Shake It! Dance and Play It! Street Party with new characters and music.  The change will include the addition of Phineas and Ferb, Stitch but still include classic characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald Duck.

Disney has quietly been remodeling some rooms at the Caribbean Beach Resort. The good news is that some of the rooms that have been finished now have queen sized beds and a 5th bed, the murphy pull down style that we have seen at Port Orleans Riverside. The rooms also feature sliding doors like those at Coronado Spring Resort instead of the typical curtain. We will follow up as more information becomes available.

In important Dole Whip news, Captain Cooks at the Polynesian has reopened but with no self-serve Dole Whips in sight! Rumor has it they will be back but in a different location and no more self-serve. You know we are hoping to see them back soon.

Star Wars Expansion

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Star Wars fans rejoice! Disney CEO Bob Iger was quoted in Variety saying Disney was “developing designs for a far greater Star Wars presence in the parks”. There aren’t any details just yet but hopefully by next year will we be hearing more about what is to come. Of course rumors have been flying since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, but this is the first time it has been official news.

Currently in Hollywood Studios there are two Star Wars themed attractions. Star Tours and Jedi Training Academy. Additionally, on select weekends in May and June there are the Star Wars weekends which feature special meals, parades, shows, character meets, and shopping.

Stormtroopers

What would you most like to see for a Star Wars land or area?

Walt Disney World News June 2014

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Lots of news about Walt Disney World Parks recently and we wanted to bring it to you in one place. Some things are going away (permanently and temporarily), some things are moving, and there are some schedule changes you will want to know about!

You can read all about the Resort Check-In Testing going on a select Disney Resorts over the next couple weeks.

In princess news, Sleeping Beauty/Aurora will no longer be meeting with Anna and Elsa from Frozen in Princess Fairytale Hall inside the Magic Kingdom. She will be greeting her subjects in the Town Square Courtyard. Snow White will also be moving to this location as well. The best way to meet them will be to pick up a Times Guide as you enter the Magic Kingdom. This paper will let you know the hours of the meets and you can plan accordingly.

The American Idol Experience inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios is slated to close January 2015. This attraction is based on the TV show and if you won the show at Hollywood Studios you received a golden ticket which gives front of the line access at any American Idol audition. And in the last year 3 of the top 13 contestants tried out for the version at Walt Disney World. So if you have always dreamed of doing this attraction, your chances are limited so make sure it goes to the top of your to-do list for your next vacation.

The pool at The Wilderness Lodge has been added to the refurbishment list from late September through November of 2014.

And lastly, the Monorail hours will be changed slightly as Disney is moving to an automated system starting June 22, 2014.

  • Express monorail: 8:30am-midnight
  • Resort monorail: 9:30am-11:30pm
  • Epcot: 9:00am-11:00pm

We will keep you all updated of any more news and changes that are released!

Resort Check-In Testing- Skip the Check-In Line

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A new testing phase is taking place right now at Walt Disney World. From June 16-28th, 2014 guests can bypass the check in desk by receiving a text message or email letting them know their room number. That means it will automatically be keyed to their MagicBand without visiting the front desk. It is taking place at the following resorts:

• Contemporary Resort
• Bay Lake Tower
• Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas – Jambo House and Kidani Village
• Port Orleans Riverside
• Port Orleans French Quarter
• Pop Century

In order to be eligible to test this check-in process you must have a My Disney Experience account with a completed profile and resort reservations must be linked to your My Disney Experience account. Also, you must have received your MagicBands from Disney, have your room balanced paid in full and completed the online check-in set up (along with a PIN number). One last thing, the room packet with a resort map and other information will still need to be picked up at the check in desk. These aren’t necessary but some of Disney’s resorts are very large so this can help you find the layout of the resort while you are there.

It is important to remember this is just a testing phase and so there will probably be issues to work out but it could be a really great option to have if you want to go straight to the parks upon arrival.

Do you think the new text check-in process is something you want to try? Tell us if you do and how it worked for you!