Month: April 2019

Reservations for Access to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland to Open May 2

Earlier today Disney announced on the Disney Parks Blog that beginning May 2 at 10 AM (Disneyland Time), guests will be able to start making reservations to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.

Specific details on how to make reservations will be available on the Disney Parks Blog and Disneyland.com on May 2 at 8 AM PT.

In order to be able to make a reservation guest will have to be staying in a Disneyland Resort hotel.

As Disney has stated…

Guests staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel between May 31 and June 23, 2019 will receive a designated reservation to access Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge during their stay. One reservation per registered Guest. Each Guest is required to have valid theme park admission. If the hotel reservation is cancelled, the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge reservation will be cancelled. Access to certain experiences in the land are subject to capacity and other factors. Additional restrictions apply.

While Disney has not officially stated on the Disney Parks Blog, reports are stating that Disneyland will restrict guests with free Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge reservations to a 4-hour time limit during the initial “soft opening” period.

Disneyland has stated that no stand-by visitors will be permitted to enter Galaxy’s Edge.

As stated by Jeffery Epstein of D23 –

“So please don’t lurk around the entrance like a Jawa trying to hawk a droid.”

After June 23 reservations will not be required and Disneyland has not specifically mentioned how crowds will be handled for this highly anticipated land, though there has been rumored to be some sort of FastPass system that will be implemented.

If you have any questions on regarding Galaxy’s Edge during the initial opening period, I would suggest contacting Disneyland or checking out the Disney Parks Blog for more information.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Coming to Disneyland

Disney just announced that guests will be able to step into a cartoon world and join Mickey and his friends on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, which will be coming to Mickey’s Toontown in 2022!

This attraction will be the first Mickey-themed ride-through attraction at Disneyland.  It will put guests inside what Disney describes as the wacky and unpredictable world of a Mickey Mouse cartoon short where anything can happen!

In a announcement Disney states –

Once you step into the cartoon world of Mickey and Minnie, you’ll board a train with Goofy as the engineer. Then, one magical moment after the next leads you to a zany, out-of-control adventure filled with surprising twists and turns.

Also tucked into the announcement was that  the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been pushed back to sometime in the Spring of 2020.

While Disneyland’s version will be located inside Mickey’s Toontown, an exact location was not mentioned in the announcement.

Disney to Launch Disney+ November 12th

Earlier today at Disney’s 2019 Investor Day, Disney announced that they will be launching Disney+ in the United States on November 12, 2019. The subscription VOD service will cost $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year.

The streaming service will represent Disney’s most aggressive move into the video-streaming market. By pricing it well below Netflix’s $12.99 per month Disney is apparently betting that it can drive up its customer base with its mix of content that appeals to multiple demographics which includes Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and Disney brands.

In the announcement Disney CEO Bob Iger stated, “This is our first serious foray in this space, and we want to reach as many people as possible with it.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited about this and they basically have my money for Disney+. November cannot come soon enough.

Walt Disney World Announces End Date for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth

A while ago Disney had announced that “Illuinations: Reflections of Earth” would be ending sometime this fall.  Today Walt Disney World finally announced that the final performance of the long running Epcot nighttime show would be September 30, 2019.

The show “Epcot Forever” will be replacing “Illuminations: Reflections of Earth” and will debut on October 1, 2019.

According to Disney –

“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.”

“Illuminations: Reflections of Earth” has been a long time fan favorite.  I personally loved the show.  I’m sad to see it finally end, but it’s had a good run.  It’s been going for twenty years!  Can you believe it?

“Epcot Forever” will continue into 2020, when the next epic nighttime extravaganza makes its debut.  So, this new show is just a placeholder until the “real” replacement takes over sometime in 2020.

While I’m sad to see the show finally end, I’m really excited to see the new show that will debut in 2020.  Based on what Disney has done with “Happily Ever After” at the Magic Kingdom, I’m excited to see what they come up with.