Month: March 2016

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to Debut New ‘Sense of Africa’ Tour

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will soon be offering a new tour which promises a close-up experience with the animals.

‘Sense of Africa’ will be a 3.5 hour experience that will start with breakfast at Boma. The breakfast will take place before the restaurant opens, with some exclusive dishes, along with the restaurant’s regular breakfast buffet. During the meal a cast member from Africa will share stories and explain some details of the restaurant.

Following breakfast there will be a ride on a safari truck that will head backstage for some close-up animal encounters, which may include giraffe, ostrich and okapi.

The tour will cost $249.99 per person, with a minimum age of 10 years old. A 15% discount is available for Annual Passholders and DVC Members. The tour groups will be small, with just 12 guests taking part, and the tour will be only available on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Reservations should open next week on April 5.

Tomb Warriors Exhibit at Epcot’s China Pavilion Closing for Refurb in May

The Tomb Warriors exhibit at Epcot’s China Pavilion will be closing for a refurbishment in about a month.

The closure will begin on May 2nd and continue through June 16th, with the area reopening to guests on June 17th.

No word yet on if it will be a refurb on the existing exhibit or somethings new in its place.

AP and DVC Discounts for Club Villain Extended

The discounted rate for Club Villain at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has now been extended into April and May.

The discount which is available for Annual Passhoolders and Disney Vacation Club Members,  lowers the regular $129 price to $99, including tax and gratuity.

Discounts are available for the 9pm shows on Saturday nights for April and May. Reservations can be made via 407-WDW-DINE for Annual Passholders or via DVC Member Services for Disney Vacation Club members.

Disney will be honoring the discount for existing reservations, call 407-WDW-DINE or the DVC Member Services if you already have a reservation at the higher rate.

The special event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was originally priced at $99, but increased to $129 in February when dates were released for March and beyond.

New LEGO Minifigures Featuring Iconic Disney Characters Debut in May

LEGO will be debuting their first-ever Disney character collection of Minifigures in May. Eighteen new Minifigures will soon be available for purchase at a variety of retailers including World of Disney and The LEGO Store at Disney Springs with a suggested retail price of $3.99 each.

Use Your Smartphone to Play Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure

Attention agents! There is an update on Phineas & Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure at Epcot. Instead of using a F.O.N.E., (Field Operative Notification Equipment), guests now have the option to play the game using their own personal smartphone.

In case you aren’t familiar with this game, guests of all ages can join Agent P (a.k.a., the secret-agent alter ego of Phineas and Ferb’s pet, Perry the Platypus) to help thwart some of Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s most daringly evil plots “around the World” – Showcase that is.

Guests get started by visiting a recruitment center at Odyssey Bridge or near the International Gateway to pick up an interactive handheld device to guide you on your mission. Missions will direct you to one of the following international pavilions:

  • Mexico Pavilion
  • China Pavilion
  • Germany Pavilion
  • Japan Pavilion
  • France Pavilion
  • United Kingdom Pavilion

Phineas & Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure is included in the price of theme park admission.

Norway Pavilion’s Stave Church Closing for Refurbishment Amid Anticipation of Frozen Attraction Opening

The Stave Church located in Epcot’s Norway Pavilion will be closing for refurbishment next month.

The the Stave Church will be closed begins April 18th through May 27th.  It will be reopening to guests on May 28th.

The Church currently houses an exhibit about the inspiration behind the animated movie Frozen, which opened in November of 2013.

The reopening date of the Stave Church may hint to a possible opening date of May 28th for the entire Norway Pavilion makeover, including the Frozen Ever After ride and Royal Sommerhus meet and greet.

D23 Announces Dates for 2017 D23 Expo

All the magic and excitement of the past, present, and future of Disney entertainment will come together once again D23 presents D23 Expo 2017 at the Anaheim Convention Center the weekend of July 14–16. Each of Disney’s magical worlds will unite under one roof to celebrate what’s new and what’s on the horizon from theme parks, television, music, gaming, and films, including Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel. Advance tickets for D23 Expo 2017 will go on sale at D23Expo.com beginning July 14, 2016.

D23 Expo launched in 2009, and since then the biennial event has attracted tens of thousands of Disney fans from across the country and around the world.

Highlights planned for the fifth D23 Expo include the Disney Legends Ceremony, which honors the talented men and women who have made significant contributions to the Disney legacy; an all-new exhibit curated by the Walt Disney Archives; D23 Expo’s costume contest, Mousequerade, showcasing the most creative designs by fans; the D23 Expo Emporium, where Disney fans can buy, sell, and trade Disney collectibles, memorabilia, merchandise, and more; and the D23 Expo Design Challenge. (Details on the Design Challenge and Mousequerade are coming soon.)

The 2017 Expo will feature a massive show floor full of immersive experiences and special opportunities to see what’s next for Disney around the world—and guests may run into their favorite Disney stars, characters, Imagineers, animators, and filmmakers. StagePass, the popular ticket distribution system that allows attendees to obtain guaranteed seats for some of Expo’s most popular presentations, and StorePass, which allows priority entry to select shopping venues at the event, will once again enhance the guest experience. Hall D23, the popular presentation and performance venue featuring more than 7,000 seats, will return, as will Stage 23, Stage 28, and Center Stage.

The fifth event follows the success of D23 Expo 2015, where guests were treated to appearances by such celebrities as Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford, Ellen DeGeneres, Chris Evans, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Dwayne Johnson and watched performances by Ne-Yo, Sabrina Carpenter, the cast of Teen Beach 2, and stars of Disney’s shows on Broadway. Fans previewed costumes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and were the first to hear about the new Star Wars-themed lands coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts. They also enjoyed a look back at Disney’s rich history through extraordinary panels, presentations, and exhibits and discovered the newest entertainment, technology, and products coming from Disney.

D23 Members will receive special pricing on both one- and three-day tickets to the event, which is open to the general public. D23 Gold and Charter Members will also be entitled to special benefits at the 2017 Expo. Gold Members will also have an opportunity to purchase the Sorcerer Package, which provides a host of special benefits and amenities. Ticket prices will be announced this summer.

Shanghai Disneyland Opening Day Tickets Sold Out Online in Hours

Tickets for the June 16 opening day of Walt Disney Co.’s new theme park in Shanghai were sold out on its official ticketing website hours after going on sale at midnight on Monday.

Tickets from June 17 to Sept. 30 are still available, ranging in price from 370 yuan ($57) for non-peak periods, to 499 yuan for peak periods, which include the park’s first two weeks, all weekends, and the summer months of July and August.

The 963-acre park, Disney’s sixth worldwide, is three times the size of Hong Kong Disneyland, with non-peak tickets costing about 20 percent less. Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger has called the China resort Disney’s greatest opportunity since Walt Disney himself bought land in central Florida in the 1960s. The company plans to court 330 million Chinese who live within a three-hour train or car trip of Shanghai.

“Relying on the large desire for family-style entertainment and the rising purchasing power of Chinese consumers, Shanghai Disneyland is likely to set off massive consumer demand,” Chang Jiang Securities Co. analyst Li Jin wrote in a note released Monday.

The resort’s revenue is likely to range from 24 billion to 40 billion yuan a year, with up to to 50 million visitors expected annually, according to Li.

Shares of Disney-related companies gained in Shanghai trading today as ticket sales began. Shanghai Construction Group Co., which won a bid for Shanghai Disney park’s site formation project, advanced by as much as the 10 percent daily limit, as did Shanghai Jielong Industry Group Corp.

Hotel rooms at Shanghai Disney Resort were also quickly snapped up.

As of noon on Monday, rooms were fully-booked at the resort’s two on-site hotels, the Toy Story Hotel and the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, for the first two weeks of the resort’s opening, according to the booking website.

Rooms at the Toy Story Hotel start at 850 yuan while rooms at the Shanghai Disneyland Resort Hotel are priced at about 2000 yuan.

Shanghai Disney Resort’s ticketing website requires buyers to register their ID numbers upon purchase to prevent ticket scalping. Walt Disney representatives did not reply to e-mailed questions and phone calls seeking comment.

Special Kid-Inspired Summer Packages Available Now at Walt Disney World

Bringing your little ones to Walt Disney World Resort for the first time is a big deal, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Just a few days here will feel like an unforgettable getaway, and will give your family a chance to experience the magic of the Happiest Place on Earth!

This summer — May 30 through Aug. 25, 2016 — guests can enjoy a “kid-size” three-night, two-day vacation package with theme park tickets starting at $1,021 for a family of three at one of Disney’s All-Star Resorts. Check out more details on the offer here, which you can book through June 10.

If you’ve been here before, this summer is an ideal time to return since there are new attractions and entertainment at all four parks and Disney Springs. From a historical expansion of Disney’s Animal Kingdom park that includes new nighttime entertainment, to Frozen-inspired entertainment throughout several parks, there is so much for the entire family to see! And you won’t want to miss “Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire” when it premieres at Magic Kingdom, or all of the one-of-a-kind Star Wars adventures at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Nightly Harambe Wildlife Parti Coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in April

Beginning April 22, 2016, singers, dancers, acrobats and musicians descend on Africa after the sun sets—come and join in the celebration!

Go Wild

On the lookout for a night you won’t forget? Head to Harambe where “party animals” have taken over the streets.

Harambe, the African village within Disney’s Animal Kingdom park, is a popular daytime destination known for its excellent street musicians, stunningly beautiful theater district, vibrant marketplace, diverse eateries and lively daytime street parties. But after the sun sets, Harambe’s excitement soars even higher with the Harambe Wildlife Parti.

Be a part of this lively street festival that kicks off in late afternoon when Afro-Pop musicians the Burudika Band take to the stage in Harambe’s Old Square and perform music popular in Africa. Clap your hands and kick up your heels to the blissful beats—it’s almost impossible to resist dancing in the streets!

Wander past the main stage and into the bustling marketplace to discover even more exotic entertainment just around the corner, including:

  • Muziki 
    Located in Harambe’s drum circle, this delightfully unusual goodwill shaman perched high atop regal stilts invites children to join him as he plays his own instruments, dances and makes them official drummers of the day.
  • Karibu Sisters
    Resembling regal African cranes, these 3 women add to the rhythm of Harambe Marketplace through elegant dance, acapella songs and acoustic renditions of African party music.
  • Harambe Soccer Meerkats
    Cheer on the village’s finest soccer players as they ramble through the streets rallying anyone within sight for a quick pick-up game—entertaining with comic soccer moves inspired by African animals and delighting with skillful acrobatic teamwork and dancing.
  • Harambe Village Acrobats 
    Wearing costumes of grass, beads, bells and feathers set against a mosaic of African prints, this troupe of skilled performers move with the synchronicity of circus performers as they drum, dance, tumble and climb into man-made pyramids and break away into spinning, tumbling towers.

Boasting music, dance and an ever-changing landscape of performances and things to see and do—Harambe’s Wildlife Parti offers the excitement of an African village bursting with non-stop entertainment and surprises for all who visit.

Be sure to check the My Disney Experience mobile app or view the online park schedule for showtimes. You can also pick up the Times Guide in the park for the schedule. Since this is an outdoor show, it is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. Performance times are subject to change.