Celebrating the Power of a Disney Wish! The Walt Disney Company Donates $1 Million to Make-A-Wish

For more than 40 years, Disney and Make-A-Wish have worked together to do just that – granting more than 145,000 Disney-inspired wishes for wish kids with critical illnesses. And today, on World Wish Day, our company reinforced its commitment to creating even more life-changing moments for wish kids and their families around the world as the Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company Bob Chapek announced a donation of $1 million to Make-A-Wish.

PHOTOS: New Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa Merchandise Now Available

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With the reopening of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa comes a ton of new merchandise inspired by the hotel. All of this new merchandise can be found in the Grand Californian’s gift shop, Acorns Gifts & Goods. Chip & Dale Mug – $22.99 Chip & Dale Tumbler – $19.99 Chip & Dale Tee – $34.99 Bambi and Thumper “Sleepy Head” Tee – $34.99 Grand Californian Magnet – $12.99 Tree Ornament – $17.99 Tree Wall Art – $24.99 Grand Californian […]

The post PHOTOS: New Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa Merchandise Now Available appeared first on WDW News Today.

Entertaining Stories Will Get Told In Incredible Ways on the Disney Wish

When the Disney Wish officially sets sail in the summer of 2022, entertainment will be a hallmark of the cruise ship. Disney is known for their fantastical worlds and they will tell their stories in new innovative venues, using revolutionary storytelling techniques in not only original productions, but also guest-favorite shows that the entire family will enjoy.

The Grand Hall

The Disney Cruise Line ship’s atrium, the Grand Hall will occasionally evolves from an elegant atrium into an environmental theater courtesy of the first-ever atrium stage on board a Disney ship. (Actually, as someone who has sailed on Disney Cruise Line knows, this is a genius idea, because often the outdoor stage shows can get cancelled, so having a space indoors that they can easily pivot to is awesome.) Dedicated shows and interactive entertainment will come to life all around guests in this magical new venue.

Luna

Luna will be an event gathering place that will transition from a daytime setting for family fun into an elegant evening venue for adult-exclusive entertainment. (This sounds to me like the club area of the other ships.) Luna will offer a variety of live shows and interactive programming throughout the day and night.

This space will feature design inspired by the Disney and Pixar short “La Luna.” It will be outfitted with a two-story LED screen wall, stylish stage, full-service bar and spacious seating. There will be an energetic atmosphere on the lower level and the balcony will offer a more intimate setting for enjoying festivities in small groups, with secluded seating in semi-private booths.

Hero Zone

This will be a completely new area for active family play. Hero Zone is a futuristic sports arena where physical activity will blend with imagination, alternating between an elaborate family obstacle course and a free-play sports hub. Families will take on action-packed physical challenges themed to some of Disney’s most incredible heroes during over-the-top, game show-style competitions. Balcony viewing space will be available for Guests to watch and cheer.

Walt Disney Theatre

One of the best parts of sailing on a Disney Cruise Line ship are the incredible Broadway style performances that occur in the Walt Disney Theatre. The Disney Wish’s Walt Disney Theatre will be an elegant 1,274-seat show palace that spans three decks with orchestra and balcony seating. There will also be changes to the theatre’s design as, the Wish’s version will evoke an enchanted forest, inspired by scenes from Fantasia. The theater will be equipped with state-of the-art technology, including projection mapping capabilities and a Dolby Atmos 3D audio system — a first for the cruise industry — to create a transformative theatrical experience rivaling anything on land or at sea.

The Disney Wish will premiere two brand-new, original stage shows and more details will be announced at a later date. But one show will be revamped and will appear on the Disney Wish and that will be “Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular.” This is a guest-favorite and is a musical comedy that is based on the classic animated film, Aladdin. Iconic scenes and songs from the movie will be re-created on stage, including a lively rendition of “Friend Like Me” and a breathtaking performance of “A Whole New World” atop a flying magic carpet. Grammy Award-winning composer Alan Menken created an original song for Disney Cruise Line called “To Be Free,” which is a solo performance for Jasmine.

Wonderland and Never Land Cinemas

The Disney Wish will elevate the onboard cinematic experience with two intimate movie theaters that are steeped in Disney storytelling. These boutique cinemas will be the first in the cruise industry to offer Dolby Atmos 3D audio technology. At 84 and 86 seats respectively, the Wonderland and Never Land cinemas will offer Guests more options than ever before to watch classic and first-run films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and more.

Wonderland Cinema is of course, inspired by the world of Alice in Wonderland. The woodland motif will continue into the ceiling to create the feeling that guests are peering up through the enchanted tree canopy above.

In the Never Land Cinema, which is inspired by Peter Pan’s flight from London to Never Land, Guests will revisit iconic scenes such as Skull Rock and Mermaid Lagoon, as the venue’s night-sky color palette will light up with the flutter of Tinker Bell’s wings.

Outdoor Entertainment on the Upper Deck

Up on deck, the family pool district of the Disney Wish will double as an entertainment venue. With a poolside stage and a jumbo LED screen, Guests will enjoy a variety of entertainment ranging from movies and live sporting events to brand-new deck parties and nighttime fireworks spectaculars developed exclusively for this ship.

More information on these new experiences will be announced at a later date.

Want to learn more about what else will be taking place on the top decks? Take a look at our article here.

The post Entertaining Stories Will Get Told In Incredible Ways on the Disney Wish appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

Disney Wish to Provide Exciting and Imaginative Clubs for Children of All Ages

Aboard the Disney Wish, kids of all ages will find a ship filled with fun – from an immersive wonderland of heroes, princesses and storytellers, to a whimsical nursery for babies and toddlers, to seriously cool hangouts for tweens and teens. In true Disney Cruise Line fashion, the fleet’s newest ship will offer dedicated clubs […]

The post Disney Wish to Provide Exciting and Imaginative Clubs for Children of All Ages appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.

Paul Richardson Named Chief Human Resources Officer for The Walt Disney Company Effective July 1

It has been reported that The Walt Disney Company has named Paul Richardson as the new Chief Human Resources Officer effective July 1, taking over for Jayne Parker. What’s Happening: The Hollywood Reporter states that Paul Richardson has been named the new Chief Human Resources Officer for The Walt Disney Company effective July 1. The Walt […]

The post Paul Richardson Named Chief Human Resources Officer for The Walt Disney Company Effective July 1 appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.

PHOTOS: Walt Disney World Annual Passholder Orange Bird Magnets Now Arriving by Mail

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Walt Disney World Annual Passholders have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of their complimentary Orange Bird magnets, which celebrate the 2021 Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. We received two magnets in the mail today, with an image of Pluto’s topiary on the inside of the envelope. Unfortunately, our two magnets did not arrive in the best condition. Not only did they both have a bend in the middle, but they also had ink smudges. We hope this […]

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NEWS: Timeline Revealed for the Debut of Disneyland’s New Passholder Program

Disneyland’s theme parks are officially reopening TOMORROW (April 30th!!!).

Beautiful Sleeping Beauty Castle!

So far, we’ve gotten a preview of the parks, and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel has reopened. But one thing that we’ve all been waiting for more news about is Disneyland’s new annual “membership” program, and now we’ve got an idea about when this new program will debut!

Earlier this year, Disneyland discontinued its existing passholder program, and announced that a NEW membership program would be taking its place. We’ve been waiting for details on the new membership offerings ever since.

We’ve seen some information about just how many Disneyland guests were passholders previously, details about how Disneyland was considering adding a dedicated entrance for passholders, and more about what could be included in this new membership program in the future. But now we’ve got a timeframe for when the new membership offerings will debut!

Time for a Trip to Disneyland

During a recent episode of the D23 Inside Disney podcast, the podcast team spoke with Disneyland Resort president Ken Potrock about a variety of things, including Disneyland’s new passholder program. During the podcast, Potrock said “we had sunsetted the annual pass program and we needed to do that really for 2 incredibly important reasons. One, because of the capacity constraints…and two, because we thought this was a great opportunity for us to reimagine an annual pass program that wasn’t just built on the last couple of decades, but was built on how our guests and our fans wanted to use the parks going forward.”

Disneyland Resort, here we come!

Potrock also noted that they’re working on the new offering now, and that they’ll “clearly be launching something before the end of the year.” Potrock also shared that he thinks it’s going to be an exciting program and one that the fans will be responsive to.

Mickey Mouse at A Touch of Disney

Never been to Disneyland, thinking of visiting soon, or maybe you’re a life-long Disneyland fan? Check out our video below about the 6 things that are WAY better in Disneyland than in Disney World!

We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more details about the new Disneyland annual membership program and let you know what we find.

Click here to see more about the new Disneyland passholder program.

Were you a Disneyland Passholder? Tell us in the comments.

The post NEWS: Timeline Revealed for the Debut of Disneyland’s New Passholder Program first appeared on the disney food blog.

Here Are the Characters You Can Meet on the Disney Wish

It’s a big day for the Disney Cruise Line!

Disney Wish Concept Art ©Disney

We’ve been hearing ALL about the newest ship, the Disney Wish, today, from rides to restaurants to rooms. And there’s PLENTY of fun stuff on the way! But now, we’re here to talk about characters.

There will be tons of opportunities to meet your favorite characters onboard, and we’re gonna break it all down for ya! In Fairytale Hall, kids will be able to do arts and crafts with Rapunzel, read stories with Belle, and practice their ice powers with Anna and Elsa.

©Disney

You can also see (and sing with!) Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf at Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure. That’s a theatrical dining experience inspired by Frozen!

©Disney

Over at Marvel Superhero Academy, you can rub shoulders with Spider-Man, Black Panther, Ant-Man, and The Wasp.

©Disney

In addition to those interactive experience, there will be dedicated themed spaces around the ship for you to greet and snap pictures with characters. One of those spots is a Juliet balcony in the Grand Hall, where we may or may not have spotted the Fairy Godmother! 😉

©Disney

You’ll also get to see Captain Minnie

©Disney

…and, of course, Mickey Mouse!

©Disney

It sounds pretty fun having all these pals onboard, doesn’t it? Disney has shared that “more will be unveiled soon,” including “innovative” ways that you’ll be able to see all these characters. We’ll be sure to keep an eye out and keep you posted!

Learn When the Disney Wish Will Set Sail!

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Which character are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments!

The post Here Are the Characters You Can Meet on the Disney Wish first appeared on the disney food blog.