By Courtney Potter
Go on an out-of-this-world adventure on Disney Fantasy cruises in early ’21, and find out about Disney Channel’s new competition series… Read more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!
Star Wars Day at Sea Returns to Disney Cruise Line in 2021
Are you a Star Wars fan? Also enjoy sailing the seas with our friends at Disney Cruise Line (DCL)? Then we’ve got some truly out-of-this-world news for you: Galactic adventures return to DCL in 2021 with Star Wars Day at Sea!
This special day-long celebration is filled with unique character encounters, unforgettable live shows, and Star Wars-themed activities for the entire family. Star Wars Day at Sea takes place on seven-night Disney Fantasy cruises to the Caribbean. sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida, from January through March next year.
With more than a dozen of the galaxy’s most formidable and heroic characters onboard, guests can meet with the best of the Resistance including Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2; come face-to-face with Darth Vader; and be on watch as Stormtroopers, Bounty Hunters, and Jawas roam the ship.
Force-sensitive children learn the ways of the Jedi and use their newfound skills in a face-off against Darth Vader and Kylo Ren in Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple. The whole family can celebrate the greatest moments from the Star Wars galaxy with the “Summon the Force” deck party, complete with a fireworks show of galactic proportions.
Costume celebrations, movie screenings, trivia sessions, the Star Wars Drawing Academy, and a ship-wide Porg-themed adventure are more of the ways families can feel the Force on Star Wars Day at Sea. Unique food, beverage, and merchandise options are also available on these sailings in early ’21.
To learn more about Star Wars Day at Sea, Disney Cruise Line, or how to take the proverbial plunge and book a vacation, visit DisneyCruise.com!
Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives January 31, 2020 Disney’s Aladdin the Hit Broadway Musical VIP Tickets February 8, 2020 D23 Magical Screening Series: The Three Caballeros 75th on The Walt Disney Studios Lot February 15, 2020 D23 Magical Screening Series: The Three Caballeros 75th at Walt Disney World February 16, 2020 D23 Magical Screening Series: The Three Caballeros 75th Near Washington, D.C. March 4, 2020 D23 Member Preview of Inside the Walt Disney Archives at the Bowers Museum August 9, 2020 Adventures by Disney Rhine River Cruise Presented by D23 Parks January 17—February 9, 2020 Lunar New Year returns to Disney California Adventure park January 17—February 24, 2020 Epcot International Festival of the Arts February 28—April 21, 2020 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival returns to Disneyland Resort March 4—June 1, 2020 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World Resort March 4, 2020 Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
Studios March 6, 2020 Onward opens in U.S. theaters March 27, 2020 Mulan opens in U.S. theaters May 1, 2020 Marvel Studios’ Black Widow opens in U.S. theaters May 29, 2020 Artemis Fowl opens in U.S. theaters Television February 9, 2020 (8:00 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. PT) The Oscars® air live on ABC. February 14, 2020 (8 p.m. EST/PST) ZOMBIES 2 premieres on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW February 16, 2020 (8 p.m. EST/ 7 p.m CST) American Idol returns to ABC Disney+ February 7, 2020 Timmy Failure premieres February 14, 2020 Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings premieres February 21, 2020 Star Wars: The Clone Wars premieres March 13, 2020 Stargirl premieres |
Disney Channel Announces New Competition Series Disney Fam Jam
Ready to shake a tailfeather? Disney Channel’s first family dance competition series, Disney Fam Jam, is set to premiere on Sunday, February 23 (at 8:25 p.m. EST/PST), on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW. Disney Fam Jam is inspired by choreographer Phil Wright’s The Parent Jam™ dance classes, which are streamed online and have become a viral sensation. Ariel Martin and Trevor Tordjman, stars of the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie ZOMBIES 2, will co-host the half-hour series.
Wright will take the audience behind the scenes as he gets to know each family and how dance plays a part in their lives. The families will learn choreography from Wright and master those special moves during the rehearsal of their big stage performance. Later, Martin and Tordjman will join Wright on the electrifying Disney Fam Jam stage, where the families come together to compete in front of a studio audience. Each episode will feature two families with kids hittin’ the dance floor to see which will be crowned Disney Fam Jam champions; at the end of each episode, a studio audience will vote for their favorite dance family—resulting in the winners taking home a cool $10,000 prize along with a fabulous Disney Fam Jam trophy.
So lace up those dancin’ shoes and mark your calendars for Disney Fam Jam’s debut next month!
Lamp Life Short Film Debuting on Disney+ January 31
Riddle us this: Ever wondered what happened to Bo Peep before Toy Story 4? The latest short film from Pixar, Lamp Life, will begin streaming on Disney+ on Friday, January 31—and it’ll give viewers a chance to see exactly how Bo Peep became a lost toy. Check out the new teaser trailer for the short, above.
At the urging of Woody (Tom Hanks) and her new pal Officer Giggle McDimples (Ally Maki), Bo recalls everything that’s happened to her since the events of Toy Story 2.
Lamp Life sees Bo through electric fires and antique stores; frat parties and snow storms; and all the crazy adventures in between as the formerly damsel-in-distress transforms into a staff-wielding action heroine.
Produced by Pixar Animation Studios, Lamp Life is directed by Valerie LaPointe and produced by Marc Sondheimer.
Aladdin on Broadway: Michael James Scott is Back as the Genie!
Great news for Disney Theatrical fans: Original Aladdin cast member Michael James Scott—who has now played Genie in four different companies of the show on an incredible three continents—and originated the role in the Australian company—is returning to the Broadway production on Friday, February 28. (The show’s current Genie, Major Attaway, will perform his final show on Sunday, February 16.)
Scott began a limited engagement with the current Aladdin North American Tour cast, in his native Orlando, Florida, this week—which sounds like a lovely sendoff back to the Great White Way…
For more information—about the Broadway, North American Tour, Germany, and Japan productions (it’s truly a global sensation)—visit AladdinTheMusical.com!
Behind the Scenes of Disneyland Park’s New Magic Happens Parade
Speaking of Friday, February 28, it’s an auspicious day out here on the West Coast, as well—for it’s the big day when Disneyland park’s all-new daytime parade, Magic Happens, makes its sure-to-be-memorable premiere!
Magic Happens celebrates moments of magic from Disney and Pixar stories, which will be brought to life on a grand scale with stunning floats, colorful costumes, and imaginative music co-composed by singer-songwriter Todrick Hall. The parade features distinct stories with a mix of unique, enduring characters… even some (including legendary demigod Maui from Moana, and an in-person Miguel from Coco) who are debuting in a parade for the first time.
Check out the new clip, above, from our friends at the Disney Parks Blog for a special sneak peek at all the work going into making Magic Happens, well, happen!
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Final Season Begins February 21 on Disney+
To paraphrase that ol’ saying, all great things must come to a memorable end—and we’ve no doubt that’s what will happen when Star Wars: The Clone Wars starts streaming its final season on Disney+, beginning Friday, February 21. Take a look at the series’ newest trailer, above.
One of the most critically acclaimed entries in the Star Wars saga will be returning for its epic conclusion with 12 all-new episodes on Disney+. From Dave Filoni, director and executive producer of The Mandalorian, the new Clone Wars episodes will continue the storylines introduced in the original series, exploring the events leading up to Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
Created by George Lucas, with Dave Filoni as Executive Producer/Supervising Director, Star Wars: The Clone Wars features the voices of Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker, Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano, Dee Bradley Baker as Captain Rex and the clone troopers, James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan, and Sam Witwer as Maul.
