By Courtney Potter
This Just In: Release Dates for a Ton of Big Disney Films!
Wanna know when your next favorite Disney movie will be debut in a cineplex near you? Check out this hot-off-the-presses listing of release dates from The Walt Disney Studios. (We’re particularly excited about Frozen 2, the live-action The Lion King and Star Wars: Episode IX!)
Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives April 26, 2017 D23’s Behind-the-Scenes Experience: Magic in Manhattan & More May 12, 2017 Lunch with a Disney Legend: Marty Sklar in Florida May 13, 2017 D23’s Magical Screening Series: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl On the Lot May 13, 2017 D23’s Magical Screening Series: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in Florida May 19, 2017 D23’s Behind-the-Scenes Experience: An Afternoon Adventure to Pandora with Joe Rohde in Florida May 20, 2017 D23 Invites Members to be Among the First to Explore Pandora—The World of Avatar June 3, 2017 D23’s Behind-the-Scenes Experience: A Return to Walt’s Birthplace in Florida July 14-16, 2017 D23 Expo 2017 October 1, 2017 D23’s Fanniversary Celebrates 35 Years of Epcot October 1, 2017 A Progressive Dinner Celebrating 35 Years of Epcot October 3, 2017 D23’s Sip and Stroll |
Parks March 1–May 29, 2017 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival May 27, 2017 Pandora—The World of Avatar opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom May 27, 2017 Guardians of the Galaxy–Mission: BREAKOUT! opening at Disney California Adventure August 31-November 13, 2017 Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2019 Star Wars-Themed Lands Opening at Disneyland and Walt Disney WorldStudios May 5, 2017 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 opens in theaters May 26, 2017 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens in theaters June 16, 2017 Cars 3 opens in theaters November 3, 2017 Thor: Ragnarok opens in theaters November 22, 2017 Coco opens in theaters December 15, 2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in theaters Television |
Take to the Road with New Cars 3 Trailer
Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is taking to the track once more in Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3, zoomin’ to a theater near you on June 16. And for those of you rarin’ for a sneak peek at the film, check out this brand-new trailer!
Disney’s Descendants 2 Gets Huge Simulcast Premiere—This Summer
Super-fabulous news from our friends over at Disney Channel… In a totally cool (and unprecedented) programming event, the new Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants 2 will premiere across five Disney|ABC networks on Friday, July 21, at 8 p.m. EDT. That means you’ll be able to join in the fun on Disney Channel, ABC, Disney XD, Freeform, and Lifetime! Amazing, right?
This “summer block party” celebrates the sequel to the fifth most watched movie in cable TV history! In Descendants 2, the Villain Kids (aka the VKs)—Mal (Dove Cameron), Evie (Sofia Carson), Carlos (Cameron Boyce), and Jay (Booboo Stewart)—continue to try to find their place in idyllic Auradon. But when the pressure to be royal becomes too much for Mal, she returns to her rotten roots on the Isle of the Lost… where her archenemy Uma (China Anne McClain), the daughter of Ursula, has taken her spot as self-proclaimed queen of the run-down town. Can the VKs (and their pal King Ben, played by Mitchell Hope) keep Uma from unleashing all the villains on the Isle of the Lost, once and for all? You’ll have to tune in on July 21, so mark those calendars!
Totally Tubular Tunes for Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT!
The first Guardians of the Galaxy was beloved not only for its awesome galactic adventures and irreverent humor, but also for its killer soundtrack. (And from what we can gather, the soundtrack to Vol. 2 is just as cool!) So it stands to reason the music for Disney California Adventure’s new Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT! attraction would include a handful of delightful ditties from the ‘70s and ‘80s… and sure enough, it does.
Miami Children’s Museum Launches The Lion Guard Exhibit
Fans of Disney Junior’s The Lion Guard will have something big to roar about next year! Miami Children’s Museum will launch the first-ever museum exhibit based on The Lion Guard, a series that continues the storytelling of The Lion King and follows the adventures of Kion, the second-born cub of Simba and Nala, and his awesome, helpful friends as they unite to protect the Pride Lands. The exhibit will debut at Miami Children’s Museum in January 2018 for six months, and then travel to other children’s museums across the country through 2022.
Spotlighting important learning areas including social and self-development; problem solving; creative thinking; and arts & culture, this one-of-a-kind exhibit will bring The Lion Guard story to life for kids and their families. Through cool hands-on activities and interactive play, guests will be transported to the Pride Lands to discover the unique traits of each member of The Lion Guard team. For more on Kion and company’s Florida stop, visit www.MiamiChildrensMuseum.org… and stay tuned for more info on the exhibit’s travels as it becomes available.
D23’s Handy-Dandy Star Wars Celebration Rundown
In case you haven’t yet heard about all the amazing insanity that happened at the recent Star Wars Celebration Orlando, one of our very own D23 operatives was able to attend—and has provided us with a listing of his very favorite moments! Read all about it here.
Freeform’s Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger—Exciting New Trailer
We were already pretty hyped about Freeform’s foray into the Marvel universe, Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger… but with this new trailer, we’re positively a-tingle! Take a look for yourselves, above.
Debuting in early 2018, Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger is the story of Tandy Bowen (Olivia Holt) and Tyrone Johnson (Aubrey Joseph)—two teens from very different backgrounds who find themselves both awakened to (and tormented by) newly acquired superpowers which, mysteriously, are linked to one another; Tandy can emit light daggers, while Tyrone has the ability to engulf others in darkness. They quickly learn they are better together than apart, but their feelings for each other make their already complicated world even more challenging.
Classic Space Mountain to Return to Disneyland Park!
There are so many things to look forward to this summer at Disneyland Resort, and this recent announcement (from our friends at the Disney Parks Blog) just might be the cherry on top: Beginning June 1, just days after the attraction celebrates its 40th anniversary, the classic Space Mountain returns to Disneyland park! Are you ready to “initiate power transfer” once again?
Space Mountain first opened in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in 1975, and its West Coast sibling debuted two years later. Over the years, special “themed” versions (including Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and Hyperspace Mountain) have thrilled guests… and its 180-foot edifice has become a truly iconic Disney image. if you’re planning on visiting Disneyland park this summer, brace yourself for some classic intergalactic adventure!