Walt Disney

“Epcot Forever” Debuts October 1

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The Mature Mouse™ enjoyed IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, but it is time for a change. However, Disney is planning of replacing IllumiNations in stages. Epcot Forever will be a placeholder until a permanent replacement show is ready. Diehard Disney fans do not like change, but Walt Disney warned us about change this famous quote: “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” What are your thoughts about the new nighttime spectacular coming to Epcot? 

Disney Parks Blog recently published this article about the premier of “Epcot Forever.”

by Shawn Slater, Senior Communications Manager, Disney Parks Live Entertainment

After a dazzling 20-year run, we will bid a fond farewell to “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” at Epcot on September 30, 2019. So come and gather around World Showcase Lagoon this summer to enjoy this breathtaking display of lasers, lights and fireworks, as we get ready to launch two new nighttime spectaculars as part of the park’s unprecedented, multi-year transformation.

Debuting October 1, 2019, “Epcot Forever” will be an all-new, limited-time spectacle of fireworks, music, lighting, lasers and choreographed, special effects kites. The show will take us on a journey through the past, present and future of Epcot. Featuring a stirring collection of songs that paint a colorful picture of the park, this nighttime extravaganza will offer both a trip down memory lane and a look towards the future and all the magical possibilities still to come.

Disney Parks Live Entertainment is busy getting “Epcot Forever” ready for its opening day. Show Director Alan Bruun recently shared some details about the concept behind the show and the team’s collaboration with noted conductor and composer Don Harper, who is producing new arrangements of classic Epcot tunes to weave into the soundtrack of “Epcot Forever.”

“Epcot Forever” will continue into 2020, when the next epic nighttime extravaganza makes its debut. Keep reading Disney Parks Blog in the months ahead for more on both those shows and all the other new experiences on the way to “Wow!” guests, while keeping true to the original vision of this amazing park.

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More Changes Announced for Epcot

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The Mature Mouse™ has not had the opportunity to publish original content over the past few months. However, I have tried to share with you new, valid, news concerning Walt Disney World, and occasionally Disneyland. Although nothing has yet been planned, The Mature Mouse™ is considering a west coast trip in 2020. I was only 12 the last time I was in Disneyland; it is time to go back to Walt’s original theme park. 

Thank you for sticking with me. There will be more original conect forthcoming. 

from Disney Parks Blog

First-of-its-Kind Play Pavilion, New Park Entrance Part of Epcot’s Historic Transformation

by , Editorial Content Director, Disney Parks

 

As many of you know, we’ve got BIG plans for our multi-year transformation of Epcot, with new experiences that’ll “Wow!” guests while keeping true to the original vision of the park. Today, we’re excited to share even more of what’s to come.

The ongoing evolution of Epcot includes plans for a play pavilion that’ll be unlike anything you’ve ever seen at the park. This new space will be devoted to playful fun and feature an innovative city that’ll come to life under the dome of the un-named pavilion previously known as Wonders of Life. The pavilion’s city will be bursting with interactive experiences, your favorite Disney characters, hands-on activities and engaging entertainment when it opens just in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort!

“This innovative, new pavilion is beyond anything we’ve ever created and is completely unique to Epcot,” said Zach Riddley, portfolio executive, Walt Disney Imagineering. “Built on the power of play, it introduces an immersive and interactive ‘city’ where you can explore, create, and interact with some of your favorite Disney characters. This is an experience worthy of our bold vision for Epcot – and another signature element of our transformation.”

There will also be exciting changes to the way you come and go at Epcot! As you can see above, changes are coming to the Epcot main entrance, where the plaza will welcome guests with new pathways, sweeping green spaces and a newly reimagined fountain. This new design will pay homage to the original park entrance with fresh takes on classic elements.

As part of the new entry experience, Leave A Legacy photos will be moving into a beautiful setting just outside the park’s gateway. Additional significant redevelopment will begin between Spaceship Earth attraction and the World Showcase Promenade. More details about the transformation of this area will be announced at a later date.

And if you’re as excited as we are about these upcoming projects, you’ll soon be able to look into the future with us at a new Experience Center coming to Epcot later this year. The Experience Center will be located in the Odyssey Events Pavilion and feature interactive exhibits to help visualize park projects throughout this unprecedented period of transformation.

Here are some of the other exciting Epcot experiences we’ve shared:

Keep checking the Disney Parks Blog for more updates on the continuing transformation of Epcot.

WDW offering Free Dining in 2019!

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Free Dining is now being offered at Walt Disney World most nights from July 5 to Sept. 30, 2019. This offer has caught travel agents by surprise because Free Dining has not historically been offered this early in the year, or has it been offered for the summer months.

Below is the announcement as it appear on the Disney Parks Blog.

Free Dine Package Offer Now Available at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

Wed, January 2, 2019

By Managing Editor, Walt Disney World Resort Public Relations

If you’re a foodie at heart, then Walt Disney World Resort is the place for you. With a multitude of culinary experiences to explore across the resort, there’s something for every palate.

free-dining-header

That’s why we’re happy to share news about a “Free Dine Offer.” Starting today, if you book a non-discounted five-night/six-day Walt Disney Travel Co. package that includes a room at a select Disney Resort Hotel and a ticket with a Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option* through Feb. 10, 2019, for arrivals most nights from July 5 to Sept. 30, 2019, you’ll receive a dining plan for free! Packages of other lengths of stay may also be available.

The Disney Dining Plan provides flexibility and convenience, offering prepaid meals and snacks when you dine at Walt Disney World resort hotels, theme parks and select locations at Disney Springs.

The package includes a room at a select Walt Disney World resort hotel and tickets with Park Hopper Option.* Packages of other lengths of stay may also be available.

Guests staying at select Value and Moderate Resorts receive the Disney Quick Service Plan, which includes two quick-service meals and two select snacks per night honored at more than 100 dining locations.

Guests staying at select Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts receive the Disney Dining Plan, which includes one quick-service meal, one table-service meal and two select snacks per night. Meals are available at over 200 select Walt Disney World dining locations.

If you’re still recovering from the holidays, make it easy and book online from the comfort of home. You can also make reservations by calling 407-W-Disney or contacting your travel agent. To learn more about this great Disney Resorts offer, click here.

*The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Tickets valid for admission beginning date of check-in and must be used within a limited period of time, depending on length of stay and ticket. Minimum 4-night length of stay. Minimum 4-day Theme Park tickets with Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus option. Visit disneyworld.com/usage for more details. Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Advance reservations required. Offer excludes the following room types: campsites, 3-bedroom Grand Villas, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Polynesian Villas and Bungalows and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort—The Little Mermaid standard rooms. Dining plan excludes gratuities. Children ages 3–9 must order from children’s menu, if available. Some Table-Service restaurants may have limited or no availability at time of package purchase.

Special 4-Park Magic Tickets available in 2019

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The Mature Mouse™ has just learned that Walt Disney World will be offering a new 4-park ticket in 2019. Blow is a reprint of the news from Disney Parks Blog. 

Attention Planners and Resolution-Makers! Experience Walt Disney World Resort in 2019 with Special 4-Park Magic Tickets

by , Managing Editor, Walt Disney World Resort Public Relations

 

“Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party" at Magic Kingdom Park; Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios; Disney on Broadway Concert Series at Epcot; DIsney's Animal Kingdom Park

As we turn our calendars to 2019, our thoughts turn to new year’s resolutions. Now, more than ever is the time to get away from it all and spend time with friends and family, making memories that last a lifetime.

A visit to Walt Disney World Resort is the perfect place to make these resolutions turn into reality, and special 4-Park Magic Tickets will help you experience the new fun and excitement heading to all four theme parks this coming year.

Starting Jan. 18, 2019, you can purchase 4-Park Magic Value Ticket for $85 per day, plus tax (total price $340, plus tax) that include one day of admission to Magic Kingdom Park, one day of admission to Epcot, one day of admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and one day of admission to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, for a total of four admissions over four separate days*. The 4-Park Magic Value Ticket is valid for admission Jan. 18 – March 1, 2019, and must be used within seven days of first use or by March 1, 2019, whichever comes first.

Two additional types of 4-Park Magic Tickets will also be available at higher price points and may be used on various dates through Sept. 30, 2019. For more information about the 4-Park Magic Tickets, visit Disneyworld.com/parkmagic.

2019 will be a fantastic year to visit Walt Disney World, with new shows, parties, character experiences and more debuting at all four theme parks, starting Jan. 18:

  • Anything can happen during Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Celebration at Magic Kingdom, including the new “Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party,” featuring those true originals, Mickey and Minnie Mouse. (Jan. 18-Sept. 30)
  • Pixar pals will party with guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during the park’s 30th anniversary year, featuring The Incredibles, Mike and Sulley from Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.” and Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the gang at the new Toy Story Land.
  • To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Disney animated classic “The Lion King,” Rafiki and Timon will help guests let their inner animal loose on the dance floor during the “Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
  • As part of the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, the Disney on Broadway Concert Series expands to seven days a week, providing more opportunities than ever before for guests to hear pairs of Disney on Broadway stars sing favorite tunes from award-winning productions. (Jan. 18-Feb. 25)

*One theme park per day and the tickets can be used to enter each theme park only once. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable and exclude activities/events separately priced. Higher-priced tickets are valid for use on dates with a lower price. For more information about the 4-Park Magic Tickets, visit Disneyworld.com/parkmagic.

Disney Blog Details Haunted Mansion

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You all know that the Haunted Mansion is the favorite attraction of The Mature Mouse™. In honor of Halloween, here is a great article from Disney Parks Blog.

All in the Details: Myths & Legends of the Haunted Mansion

Jennifer Fickley-Bakerby , Editorial Content Manager, Walt Disney World Resort

Did you know that the Haunted Mansion’s cemetery queue contains hidden references characters who were created for the attraction, but cut before the final version? That’s the topic our Imagineers look into in today’s celebration of the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom Park.

One such character guests can spot as they travel through the queue is a mysterious one-eyed cat, who was intended to appear in the attraction and would’ve been a figure the Ghost Host would warn you about as you traveled through the mansion.

Sea Captain Culpepper Clyne Tomb

Another is Sea Captain Culpepper Clyne, whose tomb you can find inside the cemetery, is a nod to an affect and a character originally created for the attraction by Disney Legends Rolly Crump and Yale Gracey years ago. In that version of the attraction, guests would encounter a sea captain just before a spooky ghost would materialize nearby.

Both the one-eyed cat and Sea Captain Culpepper Clyne were cut before the final version of the attraction took shape.

Check out the video above, in which Imagineers Steve Vagnini and Daniel Joseph share all the details!

Happy 47th Anniversary to Walt Disney World

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On October 1, 1971, the Walt Disney World Resort officially opened, including Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. – Disney Parks Blog

The Mature Mouse™ first visited Walt Disney Word during the summer of 1972. It took 42 years before I would make my way back home. Walt Disney World is in the throes of change, with major additions and modifications set to open by and after the 50th Anniversary in 2021. Are you looking forward to all the changes coming to Walt Disney World?

Walt Disney: Here in Florida, we have something special we never enjoyed at Disneyland: the blessing of size. There’s enough land here to hold all of the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine.

WDW Opening Day 1971

 

Walt Disney World is not just for kids

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Walt built Disneyland for the entire family. Disney Parks are not just for kids. The Mature Mouse™ has discussed this many times. Walt Disney World has developed into a destination, as large as the city of San Francisco. Imagineers are constantly adding more more lodging, activities, and entertainment that appeal the adult traveler. This article, from Disney Rewards, takes a look at the grown up, mature, adult oriented side of Walt Disney World.
THEME PARKS & TRAVEL

The Adult’s Guide to Walt Disney World® Resort

August 13, 2018

Adult's Guide to Walt Disney World Resort

When people say Walt Disney World® Resort has something for everyone, they don’t just mean kids of all ages—they mean adults too! From world-class cuisine and cocktails to R&R that will recharge the mind and body for serious fun, here are just a few fun ways to plan your getaway out of the world of “adulting” and into vacation mode.

Go Wild on a Private Safari Adventure

Disney Animal Kingdom animalReady to take a walk on the wild side… literally? The only thing more thrilling than an animal encounter on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® is the VIP access and adventure Guests can find “off-road” on Wild Africa Trek, an exclusive hike through an environment modeled after untamed African terrain. Walk along the grassland, cross a rope bridge and ride in a rugged safari vehicle over an open savanna – viewing African animals like giraffes and hippos.

Train Like a Chef at Epcot®

Mango SaladDo your taste buds savor the new and exciting? During this year’s Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival, you can roll up your sleeves for a hands-on culinary lesson with chefs and beverage experts. Attendees of Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It will learn to whip up sweet treats, savory sensations, and pair with cocktails, spirits and wines.

Relive Your Favorite Attractions

Rock n Rollercoaster AerosmithStep onboard the iconic attractions you know and love, whether it’s the chills of Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, the twists and turns of Space Mountain or Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith, or the ultimate drop with The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Want to combine nostalgia with the all-new? Become the size of a toy alongside Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and the rest of the gang at Toy Story Land—all in the so-much-larger-than-life setting of Andy’s backyard.

Brave the Newest Thrills

Expedition Everest attractionBeing an adult means never having to read the “You Must Be This Tall” signs again, but it still takes a bit of courage to reach the heights of Walt Disney World Resort’s newest, most innovative attractions. Climb to the “peak” of excitement on Expedition Everest, take a breathtaking 3D voyage on Avatar Flight of Passage, and experience intergalactic awe and new destinations on Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.

Experience a Different Kind of Tiki Room

Friends at Trader Sams Grog GrottoGet in the “aloha” spirit at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, the popular watering hole that’s adults-only after 8 PM. Sit out in the open air or inside the lounge, sip flavorful cocktails straight out of an island paradise (including spiked Dole Whips, an adult twist on a classic treat) and keep your eyes peeled for eye-popping surprises whenever certain drinks are served.

Plus, it’s adjacent to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, placing it a short stroll away for Guests who feel like staying in a tropical state of mind!

Ride the ‘Rail, Then Raise a Glass

Cocktails and food from restaurantIf culinary delights and crafty cocktails are always on your mind, we have an idea that will really throw you for a loop: the Highway in the Sky Dine Around, a dining experience along the world-famous Monorail. Providing five courses across three different Resort destinations, this classy “commute” brings you delectable views and a one-of-a-kind ride to go with savory and sweet dishes and world-class cocktails.

Get Pampered by the Pros

Senses Spa experienceHey, we get it: being an adult can get a little tense. Take the time to unwind, breathe deep, and give your senses the royal treatment at Senses – A Disney Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort. From fitness facilities to massage therapists, body wraps to facials, you can leave revitalized and ready for more fun to come. Cardmembers can relax even more knowing that using their Disney Visa Card saves them 15% on their spa experience.1

“Spring” Into All the Possibilities

Shopping at Disney SpringsLooking to dance after dinner, indulge in some “shopping therapy,” or wine and dine with options inspired by award-winning chefs and a Master Sommelier? Take a stroll through Disney Springs® and you’ll find all this and more in store. International apparel, accessories and cosmetics, snacks and sweets, and entertainment like bowling, movies, and live music are just a few of the possibilities to choose from. After dark, you can kick the night into high gear with themed bars and nightlife from all over the world, including The Edison, and spots exclusive to the Springs, including Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar.

With all these possibilities and more, it’s a good time to remember one of the great things about being an adult: you get to make the decisions!

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