Disney woke up this week and chose violence. In the world of Disney theme parks, this is one of the busiest news weeks we’ve seen in some time. It really is feast or famine out here.
I’m even including a few stories that stretch beyond the theme park realm in this week’s roundup as well. Even if they aren’t immediately tied to a new ride or theme park update, some of these news stories will surely have a large impact on the parks as we know them, so they’re important to include (especially the top story!). This is going to be a LONG news update, so grab a cup of coffee or tea, and let’s geek out together!
Pricing Details and More Announced For D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event
If you follow Disney’s official fan club, D23, you probably know about what was likely this week’s biggest news story: tickets go on sale next week for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, and we received a ton of information about the expo!
Coming to this year’s expo are special exhibits, like “A Great Big Beautiful Car Show,” a first-of-its-kind exhibit celebrating the unique vehicles that have appeared in Disney parks and films throughout the company’s history. We also learned about this year’s Disney Legends recipients, including Imagineer Joe Rohde!
We got a look at what tickets will cost this year, as well as the different price levels if you want guaranteed access to the Honda Center in Anaheim. Honda Center will be home to this year’s big headliner events: Disney Entertainment Evening Showcase (all of the big film and studios news), Disney Experiences Evening Showcase (all of the big theme park news), and Disney Legends Evening Showcase (tons of celebrities in the room at the same time!). Basically, if you want to be in the room when the biggest announcements of the weekend are made, you’ll want Honda Center access.
Here are the starting prices for D23 tickets with Honda Center access:
Here are the starting prices for D23 tickets that just come with Anaheim Convention Center access:
Here’s a quick rundown of what next week’s on-sale schedule will look like:
- 3/26, 12 PM PT: D23 Gold Member Pre-Sale
- 3/27, 12 PM PT: VISA Cardholder Pre-Sale
- 3/28, 12 PM PT: All D23 Members (you must be a D23 Member to purchase tickets)
CLICK HERE TO START PLANNING A TRIP TO DISNEYLAND RESORT.
D23 Day Coming to Disneyland Resort
Ahead of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, there will be a new offering at Disneyland Resort just for D23 Members! On Thursday, August 8, D23 Day will take place at the parks. The resort-wide, day-long celebration will feature a custom cavalcade, dance party, special photo ops, and more.
All guests with valid theme park admission are invited to take part in D23 Day, regardless of whether you’re a D23 Member or not! August 8 is sure to be a busy day at Disneyland Resort, so make sure to mark your calendars if you’re heading to the expo and want to spend a day in the parks prior to that weekend’s events!
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT DISNEYLAND RESORT.
New Nighttime Drone Show Debuting This Summer at Disney Springs
Let’s move on from D23 and talk about some of the exciting offerings coming to the parks this summer! Disney World announced several limited-time celebrations (more on those in a sec), but one of them is worth highlighting. A brand-new nighttime drone show is coming to Disney Springs! The show, called “Disney Dreams That Soar,” will perform nightly from May 24 through September 2. The show will feature “state-of-the-art drones choreographed to create designs in the sky and paired with a “soaring” musical score (see what I did there?) and memorable movie quotes.”
Any new nighttime show is exciting, but I’m particularly thrilled about drones! Other Disney parks around the globe have already displayed stunning nighttime spectaculars using drones (just look at what’s going on at Disneyland Paris!). Hopefully this is a sign of more drone shows to come at the domestic parks.
CLICK HERE FOR A 10-STEP GUIDE TO START PLANNING YOUR DISNEY WORLD VACATION.
EPCOT’s Multi-Year Transformation Comes to Completion June 10
EPCOT has been in a state of construction non-stop since 2019, but that will soon come to an end! The final piece of the EPCOT transformation puzzle will be complete on June 10 with the opening of CommuniCore Plaza, CommuniCore Hall, and a new Mickey and Friends meet and greet space. CommuniCore Hall will serve as a new festival hub, with more details coming soon.
With that, the last of the construction walls will finally come down, and EPCOT will be “complete.” Of course, the parks will never be fully complete, but it will be free from construction walls for the time being.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL LINEUP AT EPCOT.
Four Limited-Time Celebrations Coming This Summer to Walt Disney World
Ok, let’s talk about these limited-time celebrations coming to Walt Disney World. These all start in late May through early June, with most of these offerings ending in early September. So you only have this summer to experience this full lineup!
In addition to the drone show I mentioned above, more entertainment is on the way to Disney World. At EPCOT, ¡Celebración Encanto!, a sing along show, will debut at the newly opened CommuniCore Plaza Stage starting on June 10. The show will run several times throughout the day through September 6.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom will celebrate the 30th anniversary of “The Lion King” this summer with limited-time offerings. This includes specialty merchandise, plus the return of the Pumbaa popcorn bucket. In addition, Timon and Rafiki will once again greet guests at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. This celebration runs June 10 through September 6.
Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests will be able to meet Joy from “Inside Out” at Pixar Plaza. The new meet and greet location is in celebration of the opening of “Inside Out 2,” in theaters June 14. The Joy meet and greet at Pixar Plaza will begin June 10.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT WHAT’S COMING TO WALT DISNEY WORLD THIS SUMMER.
Season of the Force Details Unveiled at Disneyland Resort
Back on the West Coast, Disneyland Resort is preparing for its next seasonal festival: Season of the Force. This Star Wars-centric springtime celebration will run from April 5 through June 2.
We got a first look at some of the new offerings coming to Disneyland Park during this festival including “Fire of the Rising Moons.” On select nights starting April 5, guests can catch “a different view of the stunning Disneyland park fireworks display, with musical accompaniment,” in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Also debuting on April 5 are the previously-announced additions to Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. New characters and destinations from “Andor,” “Ahsoka,” and “The Mandalorian” will be added to the ride at Disneyland, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disneyland Paris.
Also back during Season of the Force is Hyperspace Mountain, available April 5 through June 2. Limited-time merchandise, food, and photo ops will also be offered to guests during Season of the Force.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVALS AND SEASONAL OFFERINGS AT DISNEYLAND RESORT THIS YEAR.
May The Fourth Merchandise and Novelty Food Items Unveiled
Season of the Force takes place in the spring, which means we’ll be in the thick of the celebrating when May The Fourth rolls along. The date has grown into an annual Star Wars holiday of sorts, with limited-time merchandise and food offerings available at the Disney theme parks.
This year will be no different, and we got to see some of what will be available this May. The big ticket item everyon has their eyes on is the Salvaged Storm Trooper Helmet popcorn bucket. We’ll be sure to hear about more May The Fourth offering as the day draws near!
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New Shops Coming to Critter Country at Disneyland Park
As we await the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort, we’re starting to hear more about some of the other ancillary changes happening around the parks. This week, it was announced that two shops in Critter Country at Disneyland Park will be re-themed to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
The Briar Patch will be re-themed to Ray’s Berets, selling headware, accessories, and apparel. The left-hand side of Pooh Corner will be re-themed to Louis’ Critter Club, which will also sell apparel and accessories long with home decor.
The right-hand treats side of the store will remain themed to Hundred Acre Wood. To allow these changes to take place, Critter Country will close temporarily starting on May 1.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT TIANA’S BAYOU ADVENTURE.
Name and Details Unveiled For Disney Cruise Line’s Third Wish-Class Ship
Let’s leave the world of the Disney theme parks for just a moment, because we have a big Disney Cruise Line update to share! I typically don’t include DCL updates in these weekly roundups, but this one was too exciting to omit.
The third Wish-class ship has a name! It’ll be called the Disney Destiny, and it will be themed to Heroes and Villains. The ship will draw inspiration from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel, and from “Disney stories, characters, and theme park attractions.” The ship will set sail in 2025.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT WHAT’S COMING TO DISNEY CRUISE LINE IN 2024 AND 2025.
2025 Walt Disney World Marathon Theme Unveiled
OK, back to Walt Disney World for one final news update of the week (if you made it this far…I salute you). We got a first look at the 2025 Walt Disney World Marathon theme! If you’re a runDisney participant, this one’s quite exciting, as the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend is the hallmark event of the year.
The theme this year is “vintage athletics with a nostalgic twist,” with plenty of foam fingers and sweatbands to go around! Registration for the 2025 Marathon Weekend will be April 2, 2024 for Club runDisney Gold and Platinum Members, and April 9 for General Registration.
