Disney Cruise Line to Sail From NY “Sea”
New York City… the “Big Apple.” They say if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere—and that’s literally true for Disney Cruise Line’s (DCL) newest sailings! The Disney Magic has returned to NYC for several fabulous Fall 2016 cruises to both the Bahamas (including visits to Walt Disney World and Castaway Cay) and Canada (a five-night sojourn with stops in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick). But that’s not all: For the first time, DCL will offer seven-night voyages from Miami to the Eastern and Western Caribbean (in addition to several shorter options), as well as several Bahamian and Mexican cruises departing from Galveston, Texas. Bookings for these amazing new itineraries open to the public today, Wednesday, May 20—and more details can be found on the “Itineraries and Ports for 2016” page of disneycruise.com.
Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives May 29 VIP Studio Tour with Disney Legend Dave Smith June 6 Mickey’s of Glendale Orlando Shopping Event June 6 Let’s Get Together with The Parent Trap in Florida June 20 D23 Day at The Walt Disney Studios and Archives August 14-16 D23 Expo 2015 returns to Anaheim, California Studios May 22 Tomorrowland opens in theaters. June 19 Inside Out opens in theaters (along with the short Lava). July 17 Ant Man opens in theaters. December 18 Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters. |
Parks May 15–June 14 Star Wars Weekends Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. May 22–23 24-hour event kicking off Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration at Disneyland Resort May 22–23 24-hour event kicking off “Coolest Summer Ever” at Walt Disney World Resort September 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27; October 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31; and November 1Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park November 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 29; and December 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom Park Television June 9 73-hour-long Phineas and Ferb marathon kicks off at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD June 12 Phineas and Ferb, “Last Day of Summer” premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD |
New Retailers Spring Forth at Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs
Exciting new tenants—including high-profile retailers like Zara and UNIQLO, as well as amazing dining options like Edison restaurant (inspired by The Edison lounge in Los Angeles) and Sprinkles Cupcakes—are among the latest to sign on as Downtown Disney continues its expansion into Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort. A grand total of 13 new tenants were announced on Friday, May 15, and they join several new retailers and restaurants either already open or coming soon.
By the time it’s complete in 2016, Disney Springs will double the number of shops and restaurants currently found at Downtown Disney—and will grow to more than 1 million square feet. The complex will include four distinct, outdoor neighborhoods with a diverse mix of retailers and restaurant options. Definitely a little something for everyone!
Tokyo DisneySea Finds Nemo and Dory with New Attraction
A brand-new ride is coming to Tokyo DisneySea—and it dives right into the world of Disney•Pixar’s Finding Nemo and 2016’s Finding Dory!
The new indoor attraction, located at the park’s Port Discovery, will immerse guests in the briny sea of Marlin, Dory, Nemo, and all their underwater pals by using a unique ride system that seamlessly blends visuals from the films with a motion system. After boarding a submarine that “shrinks,” guests will explore a vast aquatic world from the same point of view as their favorite fishy friends! The production staff of Finding Dory (coming to theatres July 2016) will even take part in the creation of visuals for the ride… so you’ll truly feel like you’re a part of the movies!
Just keep swimming ‘til the new attraction premieres at Tokyo DisneySea in Spring 2017.
Take to the Skies with Grizzly Peak Airfield at Disney California Adventure Park
The next time you visit Disney California Adventure Park, make sure to check out the newly reimagined Grizzly Peak Airfield—formerly known as Condor Flats. The expansion offers guests new building exteriors, landscape features, and a whole lot more; additionally, pine trees will bring cool areas of shade, making guests feel like they’ve been transported to California’s High Sierras of the early 1960s.
The area’s new quick-service restaurant, Smokejumpers Grill, has been open since March 20—and it takes inspiration from the brave men and women who fight wildfires in California forests. In addition to a whole new look, the restaurant features an updated menu with tasty new items. That’s not all: Soarin’ Over California, one of the park’s most popular attractions, is once again open for flight!
Come in for a Grizzly Peak Airfield landing with this new video from our friends at Walt Disney Imagineering…
Star Wars: Force for Change Rockets Into Star Wars Weekends
“Ready, are you?” Starting May 15, Star Wars: Force for Change—Disney and Lucasfilm’s charitable initiative dedicated to finding solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges—comes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios during this summer’s Star Wars Weekends! Several retail locations will offer T-shirts for adults, women, and kids featuring a Stormtrooper from Star Wars: The Force Awakens… and they’re the very first items from the upcoming film to be released in the park! During the final weekend, June 12–14, fans can purchase a limited-edition Stormtrooper pin at Darth’s Mall, located near Streets of America across from Studio Catering Company. A full 25 percent of the retail sale price of this product will be donated to U.S. Fund for UNICEF in support of UNICEF Kid Power, a new program that uses the world’s first Wearable-For-Good bracelet to get youth physically active—all while providing lifesaving food packets to kids in need around the world.
A Stitch in (Virtual-Reality) Time with New ABC Family App
ABC Family is already one of the most social media savvy networks around—and with the debut of their latest procedural drama, Stitchers, they’re going one big step further! Starting today, ABC Family is offering Hack the Case, a brand-new smartphone app available from the Apple App store, the Google Play store, and on Stitchers.com.
Hack The Case places users right into the world of “stitching” through a virtual reality experience using 360-degree video. Similar to the new series, in which genius hacker Kirsten Clark (Emma Ishta) is “stitched” into the memories of the recently deceased in order to help solve their murders, the app challenges users to find out if they have what it takes to be a “stitcher,” too. Users will view multiple videos, collect clues, and attempt to crack the case… and those who succeed in solving it will be entered into a sweepstakes for the chance to win a trip to Los Angeles—where they’ll have an action figure created in their own image! Pretty cool, huh?
Stitchers premieres on Tuesday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC Family.
Enchanting New Main Street, U.S.A. Windows for Diamond Celebration
The smells, the sounds, and the sights… there’s so much to love about Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park. And speaking of “sights,” there’ll soon be some new ones to behold—just in time for the park’s big Diamond Celebration, kicking off this week!
Since the early 1960s, scenes from Disney animated classics have been featured in the windows of Disneyland’s famous Emporium store. This year, in honor of the Diamond Celebration, these windows will be updated with exciting new technology and effects! There’ll be six Main Street Enchanted Windows in total; the first two, featuring the stories of Peter Pan and Cinderella, will be unveiled this month—followed by Frozen and The Princess and the Frog in July, and Toy Story and Aladdin in August.
Get the inside scoop on how these Enchanted Windows were created from John Gritz, Creative Designer at Walt Disney Imagineering.
