Disney+ Announces New Short—The Simpsons Meet the Bocellis in ‘Feliz Navidad’
Consider it an early holiday gift for fans of Bart Simpson and his family: Earlier this week, Disney+ announced that the new short The Simpsons Meet the Bocellis in ‘Feliz Navidad’ will debut Thursday, December 15, exclusively on the streaming service. In the short, Homer surprises Marge with the ultimate gift: an unforgettable performance from Italian opera superstar Andrea Bocelli and his 25-year-old son, Matteo, and 10-year-old daughter, Virginia.
As an added bonus, on December 15, Andrea, Matteo, and Virginia Bocelli will also release the new single “Feliz Navidad,” featured in the short and from their new album, A Family Christmas.
The festivities continue Saturday, December 17, as The Simpsons celebrates an incredible 33 years since its first episode aired in 1989! The first 33 seasons are available to stream on Disney+.
The Simpsons Meet the Bocellis in ‘Feliz Navidad’ is the latest in a collection of shorts from The Simpsonscreated exclusively for the streamer. The previously released shorts, currently available on Disney+ in The Simpsons collection, include Welcome to the Club; When Billie Met Lisa; Maggie Simpson in ‘The Force Awakens from Its Nap’; The Good, The Bart, and The Loki; and The Simpsons in Plusaversary.
5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend Presented by State Farm® ‘
’Twas the second-to-last weekend before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring… because they were watching some quality holiday content from around the worlds of Disney. What’s on the merry menu? Check out the Freeform network premiere of Frozen 2; celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Muppet Christmas Carol by streaming it on Disney+; watch the broadcast premiere of Avatar on ABC; and so much more.
New Trailer for Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2
Disney+ just released the trailer for Season 2 of the Lucasfilm Animation series Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
Set months after the events on Kamino, Season 2 catches up with the Bad Batch as they continue their journey navigating the Empire after the fall of the Republic. They’ll cross paths with friends and foes, both new and familiar, as they take on a variety of thrilling mercenary missions that will bring them to unexpected and dangerous new places…
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 stars Dee Bradley Baker who voices the Bad Batch and Michelle Ang who voices Omega. Returning guest stars include Rhea Perlman as Cid and Noshir Dalal as Vice Admiral Rampart, while Wanda Sykes will make her series debut by voicing Phee Genoa.
The new season debuts Wednesday, January 4, with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday starting January 11. Mark your galactic calendars!
News from Disney Cruise Line—A Return to Tropical Destinations and More
Amazing news from our pals at Disney Cruise Line: In early 2024, they’ll return to top tropical destinations in the Bahamas—including Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay—as well as the Caribbean and Mexico, delighting guests of all ages with one-of-a-kind vacations at sea. A variety of enchanting itineraries will set sail coast-to-coast from U.S. home ports including Port Canaveral, Florida; New Orleans; Galveston, Texas; and San Diego.
The Disney Dream will begin early 2024 with an assortment of cruises to the Bahamas and western Caribbean. Guests can choose from three- and four-night getaways to the Bahamas and five-night vacations to the Western Caribbean, all of which will feature classic Disney Cruise Line experiences such as Broadway-style shows, innovative dining, character encounters, and fireworks at sea. Meanwhile, the Disney Wish will kick off 2024 with three- and four-night voyages to Nassau, Bahamas, and Castaway Cay departing from Port Canaveral, Florida, Disney Cruise Line’s home port located just one hour from Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Cruises aboard the Disney Wish combine enchanting entertainment and numerous Disney Cruise Line firsts, bringing to life Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars stories around every corner of the vessel. Also from Port Canaveral, the Disney Fantasy will continue seven-night sailings to the white-sand beaches of the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
The Disney Magic will have two limited-time engagements in Galveston in early 2024, and New Orleans will also welcome the ship back for a second consecutive year in February 2024 with four-, five-, and seven-night cruises to the Caribbean. And after returning from its inaugural season in Australia and New Zealand, the Disney Wonder will arrive in San Diego, California, in March 2024 for three- to seven-night voyages to Mexico, including the Baja peninsula.
Bookings open to the public on Thursday, December 15. For more details, visit the 2024 Itineraries page of disneycruise.com.
But that’s not all: Starting in just a few weeks’ time, nine seven-night sailings on the Disney Fantasy will include a day-long celebration dedicated to the beloved tales of Pixar! Featuring an all-new nighttime spectacular, character encounters, dance and pool parties, and activities for the entire family, Pixar Day at Sea will debut with some “incredible” entertainment offerings on January 7, 2023!
New Scene and Characters Revealed from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
As announced last week by the good folks at the Disney Parks Blog, a new scene and brand-new characters have been revealed for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, coming to Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort in 2024. Inspired by the hit animated film The Princess and the Frog, the attraction will take guests on a thrilling journey with Princess Tiana and jazz-loving alligator Louis.
The rendering above depicts the exciting moment when guests first drop into the bayou and encounter friends both new and familiar. Fireflies will light up the night as guests cruise deeper into the bayou, and zydeco music will fill the air. It’s here where Louis explains where the music is coming from—a band of critters, including an otter, rabbit, racoon, beaver, turtle, and many others. The band members sing and play instruments made of natural materials found in the bayou.
In preparation for the thrilling new attraction, Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World Resort will be closed beginning Monday, January 23, 2023. Additional information about Splash Mountain at Disneyland Resort will be announced at a later date.
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023 Announces Performers
There’s a star-studded line-up headed our way this New Year’s Eve on ABC, when Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest returns to ring in 2023!
Viewers can expect incredible performances from several different (and memorable) locations: At Disneyland Resort (pre-taped), look for co-host Ciara to welcome Fitz and The Tantrums, Maddie & Tae, Shaggy with Olaf Blackwood; Ben Platt with Aly & AJ; Halle Bailey; TOMORROW X TOGETHER aka TXT with Seori; Bailey Zimmerman (“Fall in Love,” “Rock and a Hard Place”); and Lauren Spencer-Smith. The Los Angeles celebration features performances by Wiz Khalifa; FINNEAS; Armani White; Betty Who; Dove Cameron; Nicky Youre; and DJ D-Nice. And Billy Porter will perform a medley of his hits in New Orleans, where he will co-host New Year’s Rockin’ Eve festivities for the Central Time Zone countdown.
Plus, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023 will also return to Puerto Rico as the first countdown on the show to welcome the New Year with Puerto Rican actress and singer Roselyn Sanchez as co-host. Puerto Rican singer and rapper Farruko will also be in attendance and perform. Last year, the island was the inaugural destination for the show’s first-ever Spanish language countdown!
The annual special will air live on ABC on Saturday, December 31, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Don’t miss out!
ICYMI: Disney Announces Restoration and Recreation of the Interior of Walt Disney’s Plane to Its 1960s Design
Earlier this week, the Palm Springs Air Museum (as well as members of D23) celebrated Walt Disney’s birthday with a VIP party and the opening of a new exhibit to accompany Walt Disney’s Grumman Gulfstream I airplane. But the big news revealed during the event is that the museum—in conjunction with Phoenix Air—will restore and recreate the interior of the Gulfstream I to resemble what it looked like when Walt flew it in the 1960s! Read more about this exciting announcement here.