Tohan Ledge’s droid, Bard, has arrived at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland Park for the “Fire of the Rising Moons” fireworks show.

‘Fire of the Rising Moons’ Droid

Bard is a modified R1-series droid. He has been mentioned during “Fire of the Rising Moons” since the show’s debut in early April. Fans have been anticipating Bard’s arrival with #BardWatch on X, sharing photos of the themed wall and tarps covering the new droid’s spot.

Beginning on Friday, May 24, guests will see Bard presenting “Fire of the Rising Moons” from a platform overlooking the Black Spire Outpost Spaceport.

Introducing the celebration is Tohan Lege, the storyteller known as the Lore-weaver. Pursued by those in power who would silence his voice, Tohan adopted Black Spire as his home and wrote of its colorful history and the fiery spirit at its heart. His droid, who he fondly called Bard, allows us to hear the Lore-weaver in his own words, each night as Black Spire celebrates the Fire of the Rising Moons.

He met and spoke to anyone he could, and began to record its history. To ensure that the stories would endure, Tohan found an old astromech droid left behind at the Depot. The mechanics helped him get it working with scrap parts and luck. Tohan called the droid Bard, and together they recorded the Lore-weaver’s stories, until there were no more to tell.

“Fire of the Rising Moons” description

“Fire of the Rising Moons” is an alternate view of the main Disneyland fireworks show. Instead of seeing the standard version of the show, guests in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge get to see the fireworks with “Star Wars” music and an introduction from the Lore-weaver. When “Fire of the Rising Moons” debuted, it synched with “Wondrous Journeys.” An updated version is currently performed alongside “Better Together — A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular.”

Watch the original version of “Fire of the Rising Moons” below.

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If you’re excited about the chance to meet popular Pixar characters during the Pixar Fest celebration at the Disneyland Resort, happening now through August 4, 2024, this is the guide to bookmark. Over 20 different Pixar characters, some making their first-ever appearance at a Disney park, have joined the festivities, adding to the fun of the celebration’s entertainment offerings, new merchandise, themed food and beverages, and more. For Disneyland Pixar Fest, these special characters are joining the beloved Pixar pals that guests can typically encounter at the Disneyland Resort throughout the year. Let’s start with the rare sightings at the new Pixar Pals Playtime Party.

Characters You May See at Pixar Pals Playtime Party

For the first time at Disneyland Resort, guests can encounter Pixar characters Ember and Wade from the upcoming film “Elemental,” as well as Luca and Alberto from “Luca,” at the Pixar Pals Playtime Party in the Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland Park.

Guests may also spot Ian and Barley from “Onward” near their van, Guinevere, at this high-energy fun zone for the entire family. 

Other favorite Pixar characters you can find at the Pixar Pals Playtime Party include Joy and Sadness from “Inside Out,” Russell from “Up,” Merida from “Brave,” and Woody, Jessie, and Bo Peep from the “Toy Story” franchise.

Where to See Other Pixar Characters Throughout Disneyland Resort

Beyond the Pixar Pals Playtime Party, there are many more Pixar friends that guests can encounter during Pixar Fest 2024 and throughout the Disneyland Resort. At the Hollywood Backlot in Disney California Adventure park, guests may see Mr. Incredible or Elastigirl from “The Incredibles” appearing in their retro super suits for the first time. 

Adventurous guests can find Dug from “Up” interacting with Wilderness Explorers of all ages at Grizzly Peak near Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disney California Adventure park. 

In Grizzly Peak at Disney California Adventure Park, guests may also spot Meilin Lee and her mother, Ming Lee, from “Turning Red.” Mei is so excited for Pixar Fest that she has begun to transform into her red panda form! Here are some other beloved Pixar characters you can find across the Disneyland Resort:

Disney California Adventure

• Mike and Sulley from “Monsters, Inc.” at Pixar Pier
• Edna Mode and Frozone from “The Incredibles” at Pixar Pier
• Lightning McQueen and Mater from “Cars” in Cars Land

Disneyland

• Miguel from “Coco” in Frontierland

Pixar Place Hotel

• Joe Gardner from “Soul”
• Bing Bong from “Inside Out”

Guests can also catch their favorite Pixar friends grooving along in the new “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” parade at Disney California Adventure Park. This includes Meilin Lee from “Turning Red,” who appears fully transformed into her giant red panda form for the first time at Disneyland Resort. Additionally, 4*TOWN, Meilin’s father, and her friends make their first-ever appearances at a Disney park! 

With so many beloved Pixar characters to meet and interact with, Pixar Fest 2024 Disneyland Resort promises to be an unforgettable celebration for fans of all ages. Keep checking back here and our social channels for the latest updates and information on this exciting event!

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Today, I’m taking you on a special trip to Universal Studios to experience the all-new DreamWorks Land for the team member preview!

This land isn’t officially open to the public yet, but we got lucky enough to snag a spot during their registration for passholder previews and were invited to join a Team Member today for their preview!

The first thing I see upon entering the land are meet and greet spots for characters like Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse and Shrek and Donkey from Shrek. Of course, I had to get a photo with Shrek!

Next up, it was time to try some of the amazing food options at Shrek’s Swamp Snacks. I opted for the Shrek pretzel, which is a Shrek-shaped pretzel with green cheese (it wasn’t quite as oozing as I expected!), and a pepperoni waffle with marinara dipping sauce. The verdict? The pretzel was a good, standard theme park pretzel, and the waffle was a bit dry on its own, but much better with the dipping sauce!

Check out the full video to see what else we found at Universal Studios’ new DreamWorks Land!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, predicting an above-normal season.

NOAA 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook

The Atlantic hurricane region includes the North Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is, of course, located between the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and hurricanes will likely affect Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort operations. The 2024 hurricane season is from June 1 through November 30.

NOAA states there is an 85% chance of an above-normal season, a 10% chance of a near-normal season, and a 5% chance of a below-normal season. There is a 70% chance of the following ranges:

• 17-25 Named Storms
• 8-13 Hurricanes
• 4-7 Major Hurricanes
• Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) range of 150%-245% of the median

The expected ranges are above the 1991 – 2020 seasonal averages of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. Most of the predicted activity is likely to occur during the peak months of the hurricane season, August through October.

Twenty of the 29 recent hurricane seasons have been above-normal, five have been near-normal, and four have been below-normal. Nine of the 20 above-normal years were hyper-active (% median ACE ≥ 165%).

NOAA will update its outlook in early August.

Depending on the severity and path of a hurricane, Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort may close their theme parks, shorten hours, or alter operations by closing outdoor attractions.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Universal Orlando Resort has announced another original haunted house for the lineup at Halloween Horror Nights 33: Triplets of Terror.

Triplets of Terror at Halloween Horror Nights

Triplets of Terror is the sixth haunted house to be announced in this year’s 10-house lineup. It joins other original houses Slaughter Sinema 2, Goblin’s Feast, Major Sweets Candy Factory, The Museum: Deadly Exhibits, and Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America.

The house’s official description, shared in the announcement post on X, reads:

You’re invited to the Barmy triplets’ birthday bash. But beware, they celebrate by recreating their family’s murders. Prepare for a gory gathering.

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