So Much to Celebrate at Disney California Adventure this Holiday Season!

By Beth Deitchman

Disney parks are always a special place to spend the holidays, to be sure, and this year Disney California Adventure park has looked to cultures all around the world to inspire a celebration that fills the park with more holiday magic than ever before. Festival of Holidays is a feast for all of the senses, with Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas/Navidad, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day (Dia de los Reyes) being celebrated through music and dance, food and beverages, and creative crafts.

Festival of Holidays

It’s best to bring a healthy appetite, because the new Festive Foods Marketplace will tempt you with delightful delicacies from around the world as you stroll through the park from Carthay Circle to Paradise Garden. Enjoy traditional Hannukah-inspired fare, like the Reuben Potato Smash and Sweet Spiced Noodle Kugel at Nosh & Nibbles; mango lassi and chicken and potato curry at Spice Salutations, in celebration of Diwali; green or red chile posole, for la Navidad, at Fiesta en Familia; or you can toast the season with holiday eggnog cocktail at Mistletoe Morsels or with wine-tasting flights at Making Spirits Bright—to name just a few of the 14 mouth-watering marketplace locations.

Festival of Holidays

No need to worry about holiday calories, though, since you’ll be dancing your way from bite to bite. Every day during Festival of Holidays brings nearly 50 performances of nine unique shows, from the Bollywood party presented by Blue13 Dance Company to the catchy, bilingual song stylings of the Grammy®-winning Mariachi Divas, to the a cappella vocal group RAISE, lending an R&B spin to holiday favorites.

Viva Navidad

But the most festive fiesta might be found at Disney ¡Viva Navidad!, located once again at Paradise Garden. The Holiday celebration, which began in 2013, is “a rich, glorious celebration based on Hispanic culture,” according to Carla Carlile, show director for Disney ¡Viva Navidad! and Princess Elena’s Musical Grand Arrival—new to Disney California Adventure for this year. Beyond the beautiful decorations, seasonal food specialties, and crafts for the kids, Carlile stresses that fans won’t want to miss the Viva Navidad Street Party—hosted by the Three Caballeros: Panchito, José Carioca, and, of course, Donald Duck. Guests will enjoy seeing large mojiganga puppets, Mickey and Minnie joining the celebration in their festive folklórico outfits, and—not to be left out of the fun—Santa and Mrs. Claus. “It is so much fun and you will smile when you see the show,” Carlile promises.

Elena of Avalor

Paradise Bay is also the setting for Princess Elena of Avalor’s Musical Grand Arrival several times daily. Disney’s newest princess arrives on a beautiful, majestic float, accompanied by royal court dancers and her friend Skylar, a flying jaquin. She shares stories and songs from the Disney Channel series Elena of Avalor before moving into the Paradise Garden Gazebo to greet fans and pose for photos.

The “grand finale” of Disney ¡Viva Navidad! comes after the new year, from January 5–8, with the celebration of Three Kings Day, or El Dia de los Reyes, as it is known in Mexico, Central, and South America. At Disney California Adventure, this 12th day of Christmas is celebrated through storytelling about what the holiday means in cultures around the world, with kids’ crafts, and with a traditional bread, Rosca de Reyes—which is said to bring good luck for the year to those who happen upon a baked-in surprise. “It’s a great celebration, and for people who don’t know about Three Kings Day, it’s a great way to learn about it,” Carlile says.

Santa at Disney California Adventure

Elsewhere at Disney California Adventure, there’s lots of holiday fun to be had at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, which has been transformed into a jolly playground where the young—and the young-at-heart—can greet the man of the hour at Santa’s Holiday Visit.

World of Color: Season of Light

And far be it for us to say that the creative team at Disney California Adventure saved the best for last—there’s truly something for everyone to love at the park this year—but the all-new nighttime spectacular World of Color—Season of Light makes for a magical end to a holiday visit. The lagoon is brighter than ever before, as the new World of Color show features five newly installed barges that erupt in a brilliant lighting effect that creates a show-stopping moment during the grand finale. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment Director David Duffy told us, “When the team put World of Color in [to Disney California Adventure] about seven years ago, they really gave us this incredible toy box. It has an incredible set of tools of light and water and sound and fire, and they continue to make new discoveries.”

The show consists of heartwarming moments, Duffy explains. “This is the fourth World of Color that we’ve done, so this time Steven Davison—our lead creative on this show—chose to take a different approach of taking beloved music that we know from the holidays and combining that with Disney imagery that evokes memories of home and family and romance,” he details. They put those two things together and ended up with an amazingly heartfelt show.

These iconic Disney images from films like Dumbo, Finding Nemo, and Inside Out are set to beloved Christmas standards like “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole, “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies” by Pentatonix, “Mele Kalikimaka” by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters, and “Wizards in Winter” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra—which becomes a breathtaking display of the sheer wizardry that the Imagineers are able to execute as they re-imagine the nighttime spectacular. And one of the most dazzling displays of the innovation on display in World of Color—Season of Light is also one of the simplest. In a beautiful effect near the end of the show, heart-shaped bubbles rise up, at first subtly, but then fill the sky over the lagoon. “Instead of blowing it [the bubbles] with air, when you blow it out with helium it rises up. It’s kind of simple when you think about it,” Duffy says, “and nobody has done it before.”

There’s, of course, so much more to see at Disney California Adventure, from the “snowcar” that welcomes guests to Cars Land, to the oversized lights and ornaments of a bug’s land, to the towering 50-foot tree that stands at Carthay Circle. Festival of Holidays continues through January 8, 2017, so give yourself the gift of a trip to the park. It’s a celebration you won’t want to miss.

7 Things You Need To Know Before You See Rogue One

By Jim Frye

Strap in, pilots, because Lucasfilm’s brand-new Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens this weekend with more aliens, spaceships, and adventure than you can shake a hyperdrive motivator at. And you don’t need to rewatch all your favorite Star Wars moments to prepare for this new chapter in the history of the Death Star (but we did!). To help get you ready for your journey back to that galaxy far, far away, here are seven things you should know to make the trip easier.

1. First and foremost, Rogue One is not a sequel to Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Rather, it is the very first Star Wars stand-alone movie, separate from the main “saga films” that deal with the Skywalker family. The next saga film, Episode VIII, comes out next December. Rogue One focuses on all-new characters. “Until now, Star Wars has focused on the Skywalker Family saga,” says Bob Iger, Disney’s chairman and CEO. “But as the first stand-alone film in the franchise, Rogue One opens up a whole new universe for Star Wars storytelling, and we’re thrilled to see audiences as excited about it as we are.” That leads us to our next point…

 2. The timeframe of Rogue One is right before the beginning of Episode IV: A New Hope. What exactly does that mean? It means that if you were to put all the films on a chronological timeline, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith would be placed approximately 30 years before Episode IV: A New Hope, whereas, the action of Rogue One is tucked right up next to Episode IV. And that’s the next thing you should know…

Rogue One

 3. Rogue One is all about the mission to steal the original Death Star plans. Fans of the original Star Wars fondly remember the first time they saw the “crawl”—the prologue words that “crawled” up the screen at the beginning of the film. To fully understand what Rogue One is about, all you need to do is read the crawl from Episode IV: A New Hope, which says:

“It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet. Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy.”

Rogue One is the story of those Rebel spies and how they stole those plans.

4. Tuck the term “Kyber Crystal” into your memory bank. Why? Because Kyber Crystals were once used by the Jedi and the Sith to power their lightsabers. Fans of Disney XD’s Star Wars Rebels are familiar with these rare crystals, which are valued for their ability to focus energy. It’s this ability that also makes them a hot commodity for the Empire, which seeks them out for nefarious purposes. And speaking of animated Star Wars TV shows…

Saw Gerrera from Rogue One

5. The character of Saw Gerrera, from season five of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, shows up in Rogue One. He is the first character to make the transition from an animated Star Wars show to a live-action Star Wars film. Played by Forest Whitaker in , Saw is a war-hardened veteran who fought alongside Anakin Skywalker in the Clone Wars and has no love for the Empire—he wants nothing more than to see it destroyed.

Darth Vader from Rogue One

6. Darth Vader is back. Yup, that’s right—the big, bad Lord of the Sith, Dark Vader, is back and badder than ever. This makes sense, considering that Vader is intimately involved with the events surrounding the Death Star. Fans got their first introduction to Vader’s imposing black helmet, cape, and deep mechanical breaths back in 1977’s A New Hope, where Vader supported the efforts of Grand Moff Tarkin (played by the incredible Peter Cushing) to make the Death Star fully operational. And since we’re talking about characters who “are back…”

Mon Mothma from Rogue One

7. Mon Mothma makes her triumphant return. As one of the leaders of the Rebellion in 1983’s Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, it is Mon Mothma who famously utters the words, “Many Bothans died to bring us this information.” Bail Organa, the Senator of Alderaan and adoptive father to Princess Leia Organa, was an ally to Mothma in the early days of the Rebellion. In Rogue One, Mothma demonstrates the wisdom and grace that defines her character and makes her such an important leader in the fight against the Empire.

BONUS: Although this isn’t a “need-to-know,” there is one more little tid-bit you might want to be on the lookout for: Blue milk. And that’s all we’ll say.

Be “one with the Force” with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, in theaters now.

Lunar New Year Returns to Disneyland Resort—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

Celebrate Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure This January

Don’t want those New Year’s celebrations to end on January 2? Fret not: Disneyland Resort’s got you covered in a magical way! Lunar New Year, traditionally celebrated within Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures, commemorates the moment when both the sun and the moon begin their journey for another year… and it’s coming back to Disney California Adventure park (DCA). This year’s festivities—expanding to 17 days—will feature amazing food, live performances, themed décor, limited-time merchandise, and all kinds of fun activities!

DCA’s Lunar New Year Celebration will culminate each night, before World of Color, in a new six-minute pre-show called “Hurry Home”—presented in water, animation, and special effects on Paradise Bay. This adorable story follows a Little Lantern on its journey home to join its Lantern family in celebrating Lunar New Year; featuring animated appearances by Mulan and Mushu in several “dream sequences” (inspired by traditional Chinese paper cut-out style animation), the pre-show also includes a score highlighted by an original arrangement of the music created for the grand opening of Shanghai Disney Resort by Academy Award®-winning composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). But that’s not all! Guests will also find three new Asian marketplaces offering themed foods; Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Mulan, and Mushu all dressed in their Lunar New Year best; and memorable entertainment (including a troupe of Chinese acrobats) throughout the park’s Paradise Garden area.

The fun begins Friday, January 20, and runs through Sunday, February 5. See you there!

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Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
January 14, 2017
The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour—Presented by D23
January 19, 2017
D23 Behind-the-Scenes Experience: The Magic of Disney Park Maps
July 14-16, 2017
D23 Expo 2017
Studios
December 16, 2016
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in theaters
February 16, 18 and 22, 2017
Newsies in select movie theaters
March 17, 2017
Beauty and the Beast opens in theaters
May 26, 2017
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
 opens in theaters 		Parks
November 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 27, 29; December 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Walt Disney World Resort
November 10–January 8, 2017
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort
November 11–January 8, 2017
Holidays at Disney Springs
January 20, 2017
Main Street Electrical Parade returns to Disneyland park
January 20–February 5, 2017
Lunar New Year Celebration at Disney California Adventure park
August 31-November 13, 2017
Epcot Food & Wine Festival
Television
December 1-25, 2016
Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas
December 25, 2016
The Disney Parks’ Magical Christmas Celebration, 9–11 a.m. on ABC
January 15, 2017
Mickey and the Roadster Racers Premieres at 9 and 9:25 a.m. ET on Disney Channel and Disney Junior
February 26, 2017
The Oscars® are broadcast on ABC

black'ish

Disney Gets Golden with Golden Globe Nominations

Can it be that we’re already heading into “awards season”? It sure can! Earlier this week, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced the nominees for their 74th Annual Golden Globe® Awards, which will be presented on January 8, 2017. Disney and ABC (represented by films, TV series, and actors) were among the fantastic nominees in eight different categories:

Best Animated Film
Moana
Zootopia

Best Original Song—Motion Picture
“How Far I’ll Go”—Moana (Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda)

Best Television Series—Musical or Comedy
black-ish

Best Television Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
American Crime

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series—Musical or Comedy
Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series—Musical or Comedy
Anthony Anderson, black-ish

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
American Crime

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Felicity Huffman, American Crime

For a full list of the nominees, check out the Golden Globes website—and mark your calendars for the January 8 telecast, hosted by the suitably hilarious Jimmy Fallon.

Disney Wonder Welcomes The Princess and the Frog-Inspired Restaurant

Disney Cruise Line is known for its amazing, elaborately themed, totally delicious restaurants… and its newest offering on the Disney Wonder is no exception. Tiana’s Place, a brand-new dining experience aboard the recently transformed ship, combines fabulous live music, a New Orleans-style street party, ridiculously tasty food (can you say “warm beignets”?), and all the fun you can expect from a restaurant inspired by Disney’s 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog.

Take a gander at Tiana’s Place in this new video—featuring a member of the Disney Parks Moms Panel as she interviews Daniel Cowan, DCL Hotel Director, about what makes dining aboard the Wonder (and the rest of the fleet) so special.

A Behind-the-Sketch Look: Art from Favorite Disney Holiday Moments

By Nicole Nalty

Whether it’s Mickey and Minnie exchanging gifts in Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas, or Lady popping up out of a hatbox on Christmas in Lady and the Tramp, there’s something about holiday moments in Disney films that have just an extra sprinkling of pixie dust. Our friends at the Animation Research Library preserve the artwork from these and other favorite moments from Walt Disney Animation Studios films so that the heritage and history of these iconic films are protected for generations to come. As a special holiday gift, they’ve shared a collection of amazing artwork featuring holiday films and moments just for D23 Members––enjoy!

Step Inside the Merriest Shop on Earth, Disney’s Days of Christmas

By Beth Deitchman

According to our calendar, we’re just shy of two weeks out from Christmas Day. But tucked away at Disney Springs, in the warm and sunny state of Florida, there’s a magical place where it’s Christmas every day of the year, Disney’s Days of Christmas. Whether you enter the store on a sweltering day in August or a crisp day in early December, you’re always greeted by the sights, sounds, and smells of the holiday season. You’re just beginning to take in the aromatic scent of cinnamon in the air when a cast member cheerfully calls, “Merry Christmas!” and you realize that the only place where you could possibly surround yourself with more yuletide cheer is the North Pole.

Personalization artist Anne-Robin Nance has worked at Disney’s Days of Christmas for 16 years. She first experienced the store as a guest of the Walt Disney World Resort, when her two sons—now “very grown,” she says—were 5 and 7 years old. Nance, then a schoolteacher, was living in Virginia, when she popped in to buy ornaments and have them personalized. She remembers watching the process and thinking, “Oh my gosh, I would love to do that,” and calls this her dream job. “It’s so wonderful to have those ornaments and years later, I still remember the feeling I had as a guest buying an ornament for the first time and having it personalized for my kid. And now I get to do it for so many people,” she says gleefully.

Disney’s Days of Christmas store

Though Nance and her fellow artist Megan Shook—celebrating her first holiday season working at Disney’s Days of Christmas—are happy to be doing the work of Santa’s elves, they frequently find themselves playing Cupid and being part of other milestones and life events for guests. Personalized gender reveals are a growing request, Nance mentions. “Sometimes expectant parents will use the ornaments to tell grandparents, or other members of their family, that a new grandbaby is coming. It’s very personal, and people really do it in their own special way.”

On a recent day, a guest turned a routine ornament personalization into a truly special moment, Nance recalls. While his girlfriend was having something customized for her nephew, the guest entrusted Nance and her fellow artists with an engagement ring and asked them to paint, “Will you marry me?” on an ornament. When the unsuspecting fiancée-to-be opened her box to check on her nephew’s gift, “The ring was inside, and he dropped to his knees and popped the question. The whole area got in on the fun,” she shares, bringing the happy couple balloons, wedding-themed candy apples, and taking photos for them. “We get to be part of those kinds of things, just because Christmas is such an emotional time for people. They’ll use this as their place to do something they can put on their tree and keep forever.

“When I’m training new artists I always tell them, ‘Take this seriously because we’re part of people’s forevers,’” Nance adds. Guests will come back year after year, and seek out the artists who have personalized for them in the past.

Disney’s Days of Christmas store

The store is also a wonderful place to explore or watch the artists in action. It’s often a pleasant surprise for guests when they realize that they can have an item customized, Shook has observed: “They see you working and they’ll ask, ‘Can I get that done or is it just for show?’” In fact, the artists at Disney’s Days of Christmas can work their magic with products from Disney properties all over the world. “It has to have a smooth, non-porous surface,” Nance explains, adding, “We’ve done picture frames and photo albums, I’ve done the inside of books, we’ve done figurines—I even did a poncho one time. We will look at the surface and if we can, we would love to try.” And the shop’s “12 Days of Christmas” décor frequently serves as an engaging scavenger hunt for guests of all ages, from young children to convention-goers. Nance reveals that there’s a “12 Days of Christmas” sheet available from store cast members which guests can go around the store and fill in as a fun “yuletide” activity, all year round.

Though the holiday season is indisputably the store’s busiest time, Nance notes that runDisney race weekends bring in a slew of runners who want to commemorate their races and run times, and Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and spring break are also popular times to shop at Disney’s Days of Christmas. “We get to be part of people’s forever memories,” Nance says, and for her, it’s a gift that keeps on giving. “In the mornings, when the store opens and we greet the guests with ‘Merry Christmas!’—the look on their faces, especially when it’s really, really hot in Florida, and they step inside and they smile and laugh and they go, ‘Christmas?!’ And I say, ‘Every day!’ It’s just a treat to be able to do what we get to do.”

D23 Goes D-Tech with Exclusive Personalized Phone Case!

By Tyler Slater

’Tis the season! During our Disney Springs Holiday Celebration, we debuted the brand-new D23 D-Tech on Demand phone case at the Marketplace Co-Op at Walt Disney World Resort.

The Official Disney Fan Club is excited to announce that now through February 14, 2017, all D23 Gold and Gold Family Members will be able to purchase this phone case not only at Marketplace Co-Op, but also at D Street at Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort.

Simply head to either shopping location and present your D23 Membership ID to start creating the personalized phone case.

D23 phone case

Unwrapping the Holidays on Disney Cruise Line

By Jeffrey Epstein

Guests who have sailed on one of Disney Cruise Line’s Very Merrytime Cruises know that these voyages have an extra sprinkling of pixie dust (or perhaps it’s snow!) that take an already incredible vacation experience and make it even more, well, merry. The ships offer a tree-lighting event with Mickey Mouse, Dickens-inspired carolers singing through the voyage, visits with Santa, gingerbread house building, a “Deck the Deck Tropical Holiday Party,” and much more. “Our cast and crew members are dedicated to creating unforgettable vacation experiences for our guests year round, and the holidays are no exception,” Lisa Borotkanics, manager of Holiday Services, says. “It’s an exciting and festive time aboard each of our ships.” We got the scoop from Lisa, whose team helps ensure the holidays are a flurry of fun, to discover how Disney Cruise Line makes the sea-son bright on its fleet.

Disney characters on Disney Cruise Line

Making Merry
The holiday season on the ships may last from just early November through the New Year, but for the creative team who puts together the magical festivities, the work starts anew as soon as the trimmings are off the tree. It’s a year-round process to plan, design, create, and install the holly jolly fun.

Gingerbread house on Disney Cruise Line

Overnight Magic
Speaking of installing, Disney’s Holiday Services—Disney Cruise Line’s answer to Santa’s Elves—makes each ship a winter wonderland with timing that would impress Santa himself. “We’re able to ‘deck the halls’ and make yuletide magic for our Very Merrytime Cruises aboard our ships in approximately seven hours, while the ship is in port and before we welcome our first guests onboard,” says Lisa. Pretty amazing when you…

Dickens Carolers on Disney Cruise Line

…Count It Down
All together, the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Dream have a workshop full of seasonal sprigs. By the numbers?

  • 402 garlands totaling 3,768 feet
  • 126 wreaths ranging from 24 to 60 inches
  • 130 trees ranging from 24 inches to 8 feet
  • Four 20-foot lobby trees
  • (And a partridge in a pear…)

Chip and Dale on Castaway Cay

A Castaway Holiday
In order to “deck the beach balls” on Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay—including “snow flurries,” a tricked-out Christmas tree, and special holiday character meet-and-greets—the Holiday Services team camps out on the beautiful island for four days and three nights.

Disney Cruise Line

Unique Trimmings from Sea to Shining Sea
Each of the four ships’ three-deck-tall trees—located in the main atrium lobbies—is uniquely decorated to complement the existing colors and overall theme of each lobby, including a custom star that is as unique as the ship. “It’s important for our team to create a magical setting,” Lisa explains. The lobby is also the site for holiday carolers, the lighting of the tree, and special visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

While you may have your holiday plans set for the season, it’s never too early to start thinking about what you’d like to find under your tree next Christmas… And wouldn’t a little sea, sun, and sand make the perfect gift? Seasons Sailings!

Feel the Force at Disney Parks and Resorts

By Nicole Nalty

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is flying into theaters just a few days from now, and we’re sure we’ll be in a Force frenzy once we see the film Thursday night! If you’re looking to get your Star Wars fix at Disney Parks and Resorts, look no further––Here are just a few ways to experience the galaxy far, far away.

Star Tours

Star Tours—The Adventures Continue
The iconic attraction, celebrating its 30th anniversary next year, takes travelers on a thrilling and sometimes turbulent voyage through the Star Wars galaxy. The fearful C-3PO is your involuntary pilot on this unique adventure –– the many story combinations ensure that almost every voyage is different than the last! Just make sure you get the rebel spy to safety—and who knows? That could be you! You can experience this attraction at Disneyland park, Tokyo Disneyland, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and soon at Disneyland Paris, during its 25th anniversary celebration, beginning March 26, 2017.

Star Wars on Disney Cruise Line

Star Wars Day at Sea
Sailing on the Disney Fantasy? Experience a Force-filled day on 15 sailings from early January through mid-April 2017. Meet favorite characters, learn the ways of the Jedi, enjoy a Star Wars deck party (complete with fireworks), and more.

Hyperspace Mountain

Launch into Hyperspace
The wildest ride in the galaxy is feeling the force with Hyperspace Mountain. The iconic score immediately immerses you in the Star Wars universe as you learn (from Admiral Ackbar, no less) that the Rebel Alliance needs your help! Blast through space and avoid those Imperial TIE fighters––it’s a trap! You can launch into hyperspace at Disneyland park, and at Disneyland Paris during its 25th anniversary celebration.

Kylo Ren

Encounter Favorite Characters
Meet Chewbacca and Kylo Ren at Star Wars Launch Bay and see Captain Phasma lead the March of the First Order at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. On the west coast, you may find Chewbacca, Darth Vader, and Boba Fett awaiting your arrival in Star Wars Launch Bay at Disneyland park.

Jedi training

Become a Jedi
You may have joined the rebellion on Star Tours—The Adventures Continue, but it takes time and training to become a Jedi. Watch as young Padawans learn the ways of the Force, and even fight evil Sith like the Seventh Sister and Darth Vader at Disneyland park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland. You can even get inspiration from Luke Skywalker’s journey in Star Wars: Path of the Jedi at Disneyland park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Princesses, Politicians, Jedi, Rebels: Meet the Women of Star Wars!

By Jocelyn Buhlman

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story blasts into theaters in only three days, and with it comes the debut of leading lady Jyn Erso, a young rebel played by Felicity Jones. She is just one in a long line of girls from the galaxy far, far away that we have admired and looked up to throughout the years. If you’re in search of a new hero, look no further. This list of leading ladies will inspire you to take on the Empire or defeat the Dark side.

Padme

1. Padmé Amidala
What were you doing when you were 14 years old (besides rewatching all your favorite Star Wars movies, of course)? Could you imagine ruling an entire planet? Elected queen of the peaceful paradise Naboo when she was still a teenager, Padmé Amidala believed at a young age in protecting the innocent and upholding democracy. She made her mark on the galaxy in many ways: her work as a member of the galactic senate, her iconic gowns and dramatic hairstyles, and her star-crossed romance with the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. Although she tragically died just moments after giving birth to twins, her spirit of justice and love live on through her children, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.

Ahsoka Tano

2. Ahsoka Tano
What do you think it would be like to be an apprentice to the man who becomes Darth Vader? Ahsoka Tano was Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice during the Clone Wars, but she left the Jedi Order after becoming disillusioned with how it was being run. She chose to instead work for the Rebel Alliance alongside Bail Organa, establishing a network of rebels against the Galactic Empire. Additionally, as one of the few surviving people with Jedi training, Ahsoka strives to protect those who use the Light side of the Force from the destructive forces of the Empire, including fighting her former master, now reborn as Darth Vader.

Jyn Erso

3. Jyn Erso
This rebel girl was never one to follow the rules, and she won’t back down in the face of Imperial domination. With the help of Captain Cassian Andor, she leads a team on the iconic mission mentioned in Star Wars: A New Hope’s opening crawl—stealing the plans of the Death Star. In the face of the Empire’s immeasurable power, Jyn may be our only hope.

Leia Organa

4. Leia Organa
When you think of a princess, you may picture tiaras and singing animals. Well, this princess of Alderaan would rather go toe-to-toe with deadly Sith lords and run headfirst into a battle against Stormtroopers. Leia Organa is the opposite of her mother, Padmé, when it comes to personality, but when it comes to bringing justice to the galaxy, Leia is truly her mother’s daughter. And not only that: As the adopted daughter of Viceroy Bail Organa and Queen Breha Organa, Leia learned to be brave in the face of Imperial Moffs, Dark Lords of the Sith, and worse. Even with her discovery of her Force powers (she is, after all, genetically the daughter of Darth Vader), Leia still remains committed to the fight for the forces of good as a general in the Resistance against the First Order.

Doctor Aphra

5. Aphra
Not every leading lady in the Star Wars universe is on the Light side. Doctor Aphra, fan favorite from the Star Wars: Darth Vader comics and now headlining her own series of comics, was an archaeologist recruited by Darth Vader to complete several missions, including personal missions for the Dark Lord of the Sith that went against the Galactic Empire’s mission. Working with her two assassin droids, Beetee and Triple Zero, Aphra continues her adventures in Star Wars: Aphra comics, causing trouble across the galaxy.

Hera Syndulla

6. Hera Syndulla
Daughter of famous Twi’lek resistance leader Cham Syndulla, Hera was raised in the horrors of Imperial control and knew that the galaxy needed a rebellion. As the captain of the light freighter Ghost, Hera leads a team of rebels across the galaxy to fight the Empire and spread freedom, setting the groundwork for the Rebel Alliance of the Star Wars original trilogy.

Sabine Wren

7. Sabine Wren
Everything about Sabine is made to stand out, from the bright colors she dyes her hair to her customized pink Mandalorian armor! While she started off as a recruit for the Imperial Academy and even had a brief career as a bounty hunter, Sabine truly found her calling after she teamed up with Hera and the crew of the Ghost to help fight the Empire. She serves as the team’s weapons specialist, but she also considers herself an artist, creating graffiti art to protest Imperial rule.

Rey

8. Rey
Who’s the girl? Well, we still don’t know who her family is, but what we do know is that the lonely girl from Jakku stole our heart from her very first moment in The Force Awakens. Left to live as a lonely scavenger, Rey bravely gave up everything to go on an adventure with her new friend Finn to help deliver BB-8 to the Resistance. The adventure that ensued revealed that there is so much more to her than just a girl living in the desert—she is strong in the Force—so strong that Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber calls out to her from the depths of Maz Kanata’s castle. She rejects the call at first, but we know how it ends. Who could forget her lightsaber fight against Kylo Ren in the snow? With her heart-melting smile and her raw Force ability, there is so much to love about Rey—and so much more we want to learn about her when Episode VIII comes to theaters in 2017.

Jessica Rabbit’s Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

You’ll love this red velvet hot chocolate as much as Roger Rabbit loves Jessica.

Ingredients

For the cream cheese whipped cream:

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the red velvet hot chocolate:

  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tsp. red food coloring
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

To make the cream cheese whipped cream:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form (this will take between five and 10 minutes). Start on low speed and gradually increase speed to high. Place whipped cream in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, mix cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract on low speed until well combined.
3. Gently fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the red velvet hot chocolate:
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring milk and sugar to simmer on medium-low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate chips until melted.
3. Stir in food coloring and vanilla extract.
4. Pour into mugs and top with cream cheese whipped cream, then put in a candy cane as a stirrer for a sweet finishing touch.