Things are starting to get back to normal at Walt Disney World, with it some of your favorite Entertainment Experiences are returning this summer.
Let’s take a look at what is returning to Disney World this summer!
Starting August 1st, Disney will be lighting up the night at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with the return of “Wonderful World of Animation.” This cinematic nighttime experience leverages projection mapping technology to transform the park’s iconic Chinese Theater on a magical journey through more than 90 years of Disney animation.
On August 15th, a tale as old as time will return to Theater of the Stars on Sunset Boulevard with “Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage.” The heartwarming tale of Belle and Beast will once again swirl to life in this lush stage performance, with colorful costumes, gorgeous scenery, and the songs you know and love.
We’re also excited to share that you’ll soon be able to visit those monsters of comedy in Monstropolis and chat with a certain sea turtle at The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Mike Wazowski will begin welcoming humans to the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor at Magic Kingdom Park on August 8. And beginning August 21st, you can get your most pressing questions answered during Turtle Talk with Crush at EPCOT. Duuuude!
Disney also recently announced that all-new nighttime spectaculars “Disney Enchantment” and “Harmonious” would be debuting October 1 as part of The World’s Most Magical Celebration. That means this summer is also your last chance to come out and catch the current fireworks shows before they sparkle into Disney history. “EPCOT Forever” will conclude its limited-time run on September 28, and you have until September 29 to take in the spectacle of “Happily Ever After” at Magic Kingdom Park.
See All the Attractions Featured in ‘Behind the Attraction‘ Series, Now on Disney+. The full list of attractions has now been revealed regarding the new Disney+ docu-series Behind the Attraction and we can’t wait to peek behind the curtains!
Disney attractions around the world have long been enchanting visitors in magical ways for generations. To celebrate the July 30 release of the Disney feature film “Jungle Cruise,” inspired by the Disney Parks attraction which debuted in 1955 with the opening of Disneyland® park. The 10-part series, narrated by Paget Brewster, gives viewers an exclusive peek ‘behind the curtain’ of the most beloved attractions and destinations at Disney Parks and Resorts around the world, from Jungle Cruise to “it’s a small world” to the Haunted Mansion to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Hear the unique story behind each Castle at the Parks and learn how Disney Imagineers designed and built them and discover the intricacies of the transportation systems at each park, and how the iconic Disneyland® Hotel came to be.
Jungle Cruise: Join a skipper for the story behind Jungle Cruise, and try to spot the backside of water! When Walt decided to create the original immersive attraction, he tasked Imagineers with building a river AND the mechanical animals to populate it.
Photo Credit: Disney Parks
Haunted Mansion: Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion — enter if you dare! When Walt Disney developed the attraction, he didn’t specify if it should be funny or scary, and so it became a perfect blend of both.
Photo Credit: Disney Parks
Star Tours: Lightspeed to Endor! A long time ago…Disney created Star Tours, a thrilling simulator attraction that takes guests to a galaxy far, far away. It inspired Imagineers to build a whole new land — Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Photo Credit: Disney Parks
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: Discover the ups (and downs!) of creating this gravity-defying attraction set in the eerie world of Rod Serling’s renowned “Twilight Zone” television series. Then hold on tight as Imagineers reimagine the Disney California Adventure Park version as Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
Photo Credit: Disney Parks
Space Mountain: You’re about to hear the story of Space Mountain in T-minus 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…launch! Walt’s vision of an attraction that simulates space travel was a design challenge Imagineer John Hench tackled head on, creating a signature structure in Disney Parks around the world.
Photo Credit: Disney Parks
The Castles: Castles are at the heart of Disney Parks around the world. The original at Disneyland® Resort in California quickly became a symbol of The Walt Disney Company on par with Mickey Mouse. Hear the unique story behind each one and learn how Imagineers designed and built them.
Photo Credit: Disney Parks
Disneyland Hotel: Disneyland Resort with no hotel — what?! It almost happened. Check in to see how Walt got it built. Envisioned as an extension of the Park, funding for the hotel proved hard to come by, so Walt struck a deal with producer Jack Wrather. Jack would own the hotel, but Walt’s name would be on it. Together, they made it into an immersive experience, setting the stage for all Disney hotels to come. After Jack’s death, The Walt Disney Company bought the Disneyland Hotel. Today, Disney operates dozens of hotels worldwide.
Photo Credit: Disney
It’s a Small World: It all began at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair! If a chance encounter between an Academy Award®-winning actress and Walt Disney hadn’t taken place, this beloved attraction might never have been created. With its signature, unforgettable song, its flume boat ride design, and AudioAnimatronics® figures, it was a huge success. Versions were designed and built-in Disney Parks around the planet, proving that it really is a small world, after all!
Photo Credit: Disney Parks
Hall of Presidents: This unprecedented presidential attraction in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom brings our commanders in chief to life. Walt created the world’s first human Audio-Animatronics® figure based on his childhood hero, Abraham Lincoln. Honest Abe helped launch this revolutionary technology that populates Disney Parks today.
Photo Credit: Disney Parks
Trains, Trams, and Monorails: All aboard! Everything moves at Disney Parks, especially the guests — by land, water, and air! Walt loved locomotion of all kinds — trains, trams, monorails, and boats. They’re all fun, but Walt also believed the monorail could help cities end traffic. The vast transportation network at Walt Disney World Resort is a testament to that. Every Disney Park built since has continued this tradition, creating transportation systems to whisk guests efficiently to their destinations.
Including rare interviews with Walt Disney, each episode also features exclusive interviews with Disney Legends and dozens of past and present Imagineers, including Bob Weis, Jeanette Lomboy, Kim Irvine, Scott Trowbridge, Tom Fitzgerald, Scot Drake, Carmen Smith, Joe Rohde, and others who divulge insider secrets of the parks and how iconic Disney attractions were brought to life. Revealed for the first time are the wild stories of how the Haunted Mansion was filled with 999 happy haunts, how the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ transformed into Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! (while defying gravity in the process) and why Space Mountain took so long to launch.
‘Behind the Attraction’ comes from Executive Producers Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Brian Volk-Weiss at Seven Bucks Productions in partnership with Disney+. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for updates and all things Disney+!
Start eating healthier with these magical recipes inspired by our favorite princesses like Rapunzel, Belle, Moana and more! Here you will find sweet and savory treats that incorporates fruits and veggies in a tasty way.
The book includes more than 50 recipes like Tiana’s Pecan Praline Bars, a Mulan Black Sesame Layered Custard Tart, Pumpkin Coach Cinnamon Rolls and more!
Kids will be inspired to learn kitchen skills and make healthy, delicious treats with the magic of Disney Princesses. The book also includes tips for kitchen safety and lots of fun facts about nutrition and fitness.
Disney Princess Healthy Treats Cookbook was written by Ariane Resnick, a knowledgable, experienced and engaging author that can help you discover delicious ways to create healthy foods that kids will love to eat through the magic of Disney!
The book will be available on August 31, 2021 but you can pre-order yours now! You can find it here.
The Disney Wish will set sail in the summer of 2022! We can’t wait!
Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Wish, will be setting sail for the first time next summer. But the Cruise ship still needs its crew! Disney Cruise Lines are currently seeking job applicants for open positions. Now is you chance to apply!
Click here if you want to apply to a job aboard the Disney Wish.
The highly anticipated fifth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet will greet its first guests on June 9, 2022, for a special five-night maiden voyage that includes two days at sea and stops in Nassau and Castaway Cay, a private tropical paradise reserved exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests.
On June 14, 2022, Disney Vacation Club will host a three-night, members-only cruise to Castaway Cay.
These sailings will be followed by alternating three- and four-night cruises from Port Canaveral — about an hour’s drive from Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida — that will offer families an all-new way to experience the magic of Disney at sea combined with a tropical beach vacation.
The Disney Wish will whisk families to the blue skies and sunshine of the Bahamas. In Nassau, cruisers will enjoy breathtaking beaches and activities for everyone in the family as they swim, snorkel, shop and more in this popular vacation destination. At Castaway Cay, guests will explore a pristine island completely outfitted for family fun and relaxation and brimming with special Disney touches.
Harry Potter fans, channel your inner Molly Weasley with this brand new Harry Potter Baking Book. There are over 40 recipes inside inspired by the films. From Pumpkin Patch Pies to Owl Muffins, Luna’s Spectrespecs Cookies to Hogwarts Gingerbread, The Official Harry Potter Baking Book is packed with mouthwatering recipes to entice both wizards and muggles. Those cute Weasley sweater cookies are calling to me.
This new Harry Potter baking cookbook is brand new and can be bought here. It’s $14.99 right now at Scholastic. It is hardcover and 128 pages long. We ordered our copy and can’t wait to try out some of these amazing recipes.
Timon and Pumbaa are joining the action for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary!
They will be joined by 50 characters as part of the “Disney Fab 50,” a new collection of golden sculptures debuting Oct. 1, 2021, across all four Walt Disney World theme parks as part of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” honoring the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort.
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto and Chip ‘n’ Dale will be part of a new collection of special golden character sculptures debuting Oct. 1st across the four Walt Disney World theme parks.
There will be 50 characters featured overall, and guests will be able to interact with the “Disney Fab 50” in surprising ways as part of the 50th-anniversary celebration.
During the magical celebration, which begins on Oct. 1st, you’ll be able to find these golden character sculptures throughout all four of the Resort’s parks. And leading up to their appearances, friends from around the Disney company will be announcing which characters you can expect to see.
You can also virtually “collect” each golden Disney character sculpture on Instagram. To add a sculpture to Instagram Collections, just tap and hold the bookmark icon. Then, on the “Save to” screen, tap the collection where you want to save the image or create a new collection. Happy hunting!
Marvel Executive Confirms ‘Hawkeye’ and ‘Ms. Marvel’ to Debut on Disney+ in 2021. Executive VP of Film Production at Marvel Studios Victoria Alonso spoke with Variety regarding the opportunity to create more inclusive content for the famed studio as well as what to expect from various shows featured on Disney+.
Victoria highlighted several series that have premiered this year on the popular streaming service including WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki, and shared her excitement for the new animated series “What If…?“ coming to Disney+ this August. “We’re going to have our animation branch and mini studio, and there will be more to come from that as well,” Alonso added. “We’re super excited about animation, which is my first love.”
Victoria also shared that “a few other shows” will be coming to Disney+ before the end of the year, including “Ms. Marvel” and “Hawkeye.” While discussing the new opportunities by releasing new content via Disney+ Alonso explained, “When the chance of being a part of this streaming world came about, we were beyond excited because all of a sudden we could actually give the fans far more than 1/4 of a page or three cool moves.”
Hawkeye: Hawkeye, which debuts on Disney+ in late 2021, stars Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, who teams up with another well-known archer from the Marvel comics, Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld. The cast also includes Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d’Arcy James and newcomer Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez. Hawkeye is helmed by Rhys Thomas and directing duo Bert and Bertie.
Ms. Marvel: Kamala Khan was also one of the main protagonists in the new Marvel’s Avengers video game that launched last September and is available for all major gaming consoles and platforms. It is currently unknown which elements of Kamala’s story from the comics will be added to the series. Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Meera Menon are set to direct various episodes, with Kevin Feige acting as executive producer for the new series. Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan will also be featured in the upcoming Marvel Studios film, The Marvels, starring alongside Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) and Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau).
When the Florida Theme Parks reopened after being closed for months they required guests to wear face masks both indoors and outdoors as a way to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Slowly over time, they eased those Mask Mandates as positive COVID rates dropped below 5%. However, with the spread of a new Delta Variant making its way throughout the country, especially Florida where there has been a 70% increase in just the past month, could Mask Mandates be returning to Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World?
At a news conference on Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the spike in July was expected as the virus is following a seasonal pattern, and he stressed the importance of getting vaccinated.
“If you are vaccinated though, the number of people that end up hospitalized is almost zero, it’s incredibly, incredibly low, so I think there’s some misinformation out there where someone will say ‘oh these people were vaccinated then they tested positive,'” DeSantis said. “Understand, a positive test is not a clinical diagnosis of illness and so if you’re vaccinated and you test positive but you don’t get sick, well the name of the game is to keep people out of the hospital.”
With this spike in COVID Delta variant cases will this mean that Disney World and Universal Orlando could reinstate their mask mandates?
The Disney World website still requires face masks in many areas for Guests who are not fully vaccinated and optional for fully vaccinated Guests except on most transportation.
While face coverings are required for all Guests while in Disney buses, monorail and Disney Skyliner, they are now optional in most areas for Guests who are fully vaccinated. They do not require proof of vaccination, they expect Guests who are not fully vaccinated to continue wearing face coverings in all indoor locations and upon entering and throughout all attractions and transportation except ferry boats.
All face coverings (whether disposable or reusable) should:
Be made with at least 2 layers of breathable material
Fully cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin
Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
Be secured with ties or ear loops and allow the Guest to remain hands-free
Face coverings should not contain valves, mesh material or holes.
Costume masks are not considered appropriate and are prohibited from being worn, in alignment with our existing rules.
Face coverings may have an integrated transparent plastic panel to aid in viewing the wearer’s mouth. These face coverings should:
Be a fabric face covering featuring a solid plastic panel containing no openings that is attached to the fabric on all sides using tight knit stitching
Meet all face covering requirements listed above
Fully Vaccinated Guests
Face Coverings Required
Face Coverings Optional
All transportation except ferry boats, including transportation entrances
✓
All other locations at Walt Disney World Resort
✓
Guests Who Are Not Fully Vaccinated
Face Coverings Required
Face Coverings Optional
Upon entering and throughout all attractions
✓
All indoor theaters, including theater entrances
✓
All transportation except ferry boats, including transportation entrances
✓
All indoor locations, including restaurants, except when actively eating or drinking while stationary
✓
Outdoor common areas
✓
Pool decks
✓
Please note, face coverings are not permitted while experiencing water slides or in the water.
Both Disney World and Universal Orlando follow CDC Guidelines on social distancing and face masks, and at this time the CDC has not made any updates to their suggested mask guidelines.
Just last week LA County changed Face Mask Guidelines stating that all guests vaccinated or not should wear Face coverings indoors. Only Universal Hollywood is in LA County as Disneyland is in Orange County, California. LA County is also seeing a huge spike in Covid-19 Delta Variant cases like Florida.
Given the rise in cases, it is safe to say we might see Face Masks returning to the Florida & California Theme Parks, if I had to guess Indoor Masks would be first and if the numbers do not stabilize then guests might be required to wear masks all the time like when the Theme Parks first reopened.
Keep in mind this is just speculation, we are closely monitoring the situation for the Florida Theme Parks, and if anything changes we will let you know here on Chip and Co.
2 new Magic Bands Spotted in the Magic Kingdom. While at the Magic Kingdom yesterday we got our hands on 2 limited edition magic bands. The Great Mouse Detective limited to 1060, and Jungle Navigation Co. Limited to 2000.
The Great Mouse Detective Magic Band came out of nowhere. The only reason we could find is the movie celebrates the 35th anniversary of the release of the movie. The box has Basil, Olivia, and also includes Toby the Basset Hound, and Ratigan. The green band features Basil, Dawson, and Olivia underneath the movie logo. They had a few left as of last night at Emporium Shop on Main Street, when leaving the park, for $39.99.
On the opposite end of the Magic Band spectrum, The brand new movie The Jungle Cruise magic band was spotted all throughout the Magic Kingdom. This new blue band features The Rock and Emily Blunt who play Frank Wolff and Lily Houghton. They are featured under the Junglee Cruise Disney Logo.
The box also features the 2 stars along with The Adventures’s On, and below Journey Through The Jungle wording. This limited band is also available for 39.99 and is limited to 2000. Check out some of the images below.
Construction continues on Beauty & the Beast Castle to prepare for the 50th Anniversary. Clearly, Disney World is undergoing a major refurbishment prior to the 50th anniversary. Everywhere you look has either a fresh coat of paint or is undergoing some sort of enhancement. With under 3 months to go before the 50th anniversary of Walt DIsney World Resort, the facade of Beasts Castle, and the entranceway to Be Our Guest restaurant is now behind scaffolding, as crews work on enhancing the area.
We were on hand in the park yesterday and had dinner at Be Our Guest. Crossing the bridge to the restaurant, you can see the work being done. The scaffolding covers the left side of the entranceway and is quite noticeable. Crews are clearing the area of debris and dirt build-up over the years. This is just another step towards Disney making the whole park magical.
We recently reported on all the other work in Fantasyland, including Casey Jr Splash area, Storybook Circus, and the other improvement work which you can read about here on Chip and Co. We cannot wait to see the parks on October 1st, 2021 when it opens on the first day of the 50th anniversary. Disney is doing an amazing job making sure the park looks magical.
Brightline has been planning a passenger rail from south Florida up to Orlando International Airport for years and work has been ongoing. Now, the plans for the rail line to build tracks connecting the airport to Walt Disney World and Tampa have been delayed.
Brightline had planned on building a passenger rail beside State Road 417, passing through Hunter’s Creek and along Interstate 4 to Walt Disney World. Over the last year proponents of International Drive, Universal Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center have protested that route.
Yesterday, the Central Florida Expressway Authority agreed unanimously to delay indefinitely a decision over whether to allow Brightline Trains to build a rail on SR 417. Representatives of the International Drive tourism strip and the Hunter’s Creek residential community really pushed for the Authority to deny access to Brightline as they have a separate preferred route for the rail line. The vote finally came after 3.5 hours of discussion.
Brightline estimates the original plan to cost $1 billion. If they are denied access to SR 417, they will need to consider a significantly more costly route. The route preferred by the International Drive supporters would cost $1.7 billion. The International Drive supporters presented their corridor as the region’s powerhouse of theme parks, hotels, related businesses, jobs and tourists.
Universal Orlando has even offered to donate 17 acres for the rail corridor. “We will put our money and our resources where our mouth is,” said John Sprouls, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Universal Parks & Resorts.
“We have probably a few months left before Brightline gets to a critical place where there is no turning back,” said Christopher “C.J.” Maier, an expressway authority board member. A decision needs to be made soon regarding where Brightline will put the railway.
Brightline leaders don’t seem too worried about it though. “We’ve always found success by building a large and wide-ranging coalition of support, which was on display today,” said Christine Kefauver, Brightline’s senior vice president for corporate development. “Today’s resolution of support brings us one step closer to connecting Orlando and Tampa with Brightline’s modern, eco-friendly intercity rail service.”
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor is one of the attractions in Magic Kingdom that has still not reopened. This is a guest favorite as it is an audience-interactive show. Now, we’ve got some hope that it will reopen soon!
An official reopening date has not been announced yet but these are all good signs that the attraction will reopen in the near future!
Have you experienced Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor at Walt Disney World?For help with planning your next Disney vacation, contact me today! I am a travel agent specializing in Disney destinations and can help you plan a magical vacation at no extra cost to you!
