In an email to Disney Vacation Club Members, Terri A. Schultz Senior Vice President of the Disney Vacation Club just shared with us the opening date for The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at the Disneyland Resort!
Today I’m pleased to share that The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa are currently scheduled to reopen on May 2, 2021. Our Cast Members on the West Coast are excited to make their magic once again and “welcome home” Members with enhanced health and safety measures based on guidance from health authorities and appropriate government agencies.
It is important to note that while the Disney Vacation Club Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa will open for Members and their guests, the rest of the hotel, as well as the Disneyland® Hotel, Disney’s Paradise Pier® Hotel, Disneyland® Park and Disney California Adventure® Park, remain closed for normal operations and will reopen at a later date. The Downtown Disney® District is open with select shopping and dining experiences. We invite you to continue to visit the website for the latest details about the phased reopening plans for the Disneyland Resort.
Please note that during the initial reopening period of The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, most dining, amenities, activities and services will be modified, limited in capacity or unavailable based on physical distancing and health guidelines. In addition, some areas and offerings will remain temporarily closed or unavailable.
Member Policy Updates We would also like to share that some of the temporary adjustments made last year to certain Disney Vacation Club policies will be ending soon. We ask that you please visit the Member website for details about policies related to reservation cancelations, the borrowing and holding of points, exchange fees and more. We have appreciated your patience and flexibility as we’ve worked to adapt policies in support of our entire membership while continuing to deliver the vacation experiences you expect from Disney. We encourage you to continue using the Member Online Booking Tool to book or modify a Disney Vacation Club Resort reservation.
As our Cast Members help make dreams come true across the entire Disney Vacation Club portfolio of resorts, please know that we are grateful for your membership and look forward to seeing you soon. Here’s to magical days ahead!
It should be noted this is for the Disney Vacation Club Villas and not the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
We are so close to finally being able to watch Raya and The Last Dragon next week! So of course we need to gear up to enjoy this amazing new movie right?
But before we discover all the new merchandise available, do you know what Raya and The Last Dragon is about? Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned and it’s up to a lone warrior to track down the last dragon and stop the Druun for good.
Now that you know more about the movie, let’s take a look at the new products available now at shopDisney.com, Disney Stores, Walt Disney World and Downtown Disney:
Set off on playtime adventures with new dolls perfect for young warriors at heart featuring Raya, Sisu in human form and Sisu in dragon form featuring activated lights and phrases!
Bring the enchanting world of Kumandra home with this deluxe figure play set featuring Raya, Sisu, Namaari, Tong and Noi, Tuk Tuk, Boun and the mischivious Ongis-Pan, Dyan and Uka.
Look how adorable these baby Tuk Tuk and Sisu plush toys are!
Swing into a little fun with this Ongi mug featuring Pan, Dyan and Uka! Inspired by the loveble creatures this characterful mug features molded details.
Now these next items will be available at retailers around the globe:
Everyone loves Funko right? These Raya and The Last Dragon are definitely must have for your collection!
Get ready to play out tremendous adventures with the Raya, Namaari and Ongis Pack, only at Target. The Raya doll and Namaari doll are poseable and wear fashion doll clothes, including pants, boots, and a cape. Also included are 3 Ongis and fun doll accesories, like a hat and swords.
Show off your fearlessness with this awesome t-shirt featuring Raya and her unlikely squad!
The Art of Raya and The Last Dragon features never before seen development art, character sketches, storyboards and color scripts. Relieve the excitement of this film with this Little Golden Book adaptation.
Jump into Disney’s Sorcerer’s Arena to enjoy special events and offers to celebrate the launch of “Raya and The Last Dragon” in theaters and Disney Plus. All players who log in from March 5 – 6 will receive a free Boun in game item, plus have the chance to purchase a Sisu in game item through the celebration.
Don’t forget to join Raya and Sisu this March 5th on Disney Plus for an additional fee or April 23rd for all Disney Plus subscribers!
We have a photo update on the upcoming Star Wars Resort. The exciting new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is set to debut in 2021 and will connect to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The latest aerial photos show us the progress of the future resort.
Guests begin their Star Wars adventure the second they enter the Galactic Starcruiser Terminal. From there, you will be brought into an exclusive launch pod that will transport guests to the Halcyon. The Halcyon is the themed starcruiser where guests will enjoy their two-day cruise across the galaxy.
What’s amazing is how immersive this new resort experience is from beginning to end. The pod that transports guests to the starcruiser will have viewports showing space outside. It will look like you’re actually leaving the planet and boarding a massive spaceship. The level of detail is necessary since this immersive resort is meant to feel like a real adventure!
Galactic Starcruiser
Part of the cruise itinerary is a “spaceport of call” where guests go directly to Galaxy’s Edge. Because of the emphasis on being an immersive resort experience, Disney will use special guest transports to bring people to the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu. The whole excursion keeps you locked in the Star Wars story mode, so entering and leaving Batuu will be a new kind of experience. The story told between the starcruiser and the planet of Batuu will be an incredible adventure for resort guests. We will post updates on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser resort when more information becomes available!
‘The World’s Most Magical Celebration’ will be beginning on Oct. 1st, 2021 to celebrate Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary, This 18-month event will feature new experiences at the resort’s four theme parks and beyond!
October 1st can’t get here soon enough! Cast Members are sharing the excitement of today’s news about “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” with exclusive photo backdrops featuring the EARidescent Beacons of Magic that will light up each of their parks at night.
On Oct. 1, 1971, Walt Disney World Resort officially opened to guests for the first time. It was the culmination of years spent imagining, planning, and developing Walt Disney’s magical dream. In the five decades since the vacation destination continued to expand with new stories and characters and adventures to cherish for a lifetime. And now with a major milestone approaching, guests can share in “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” beginning Oct. 1, 2021, in honor of the resort’s 50th anniversary.
Over the course of 18th months Disney will feature new experiences at the resort’s four theme parks and beyond, where shimmering EARidescent décor will appear as if by magic. Shining at the center of it all will be Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park. It will add to its royal makeover from 2020 with new gold bunting, sparkling golden embellishments. But it will also include other new enhancements, including a 50th-anniversary crest warmly welcoming guests to the join the festivities.
More details about “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” will be announced in the future. So stay tuned to Chip and Co for more details.
Mad Tea Party is inspired by the Mad Hatter’s party sequence in Walt Disney’s animated classic Alice in Wonderland and modeled after the iconic 1955 Disneyland Park attraction.
According to the Disney World Website the Mad Tea Party will be closed till March 4th, 2021.
Orange Bird fans are in for a treat as sweet as a Citrus Swirl! Now you can carry the lovable friend wherever you go with the new Orange Bird Shoulder Pet!
We spotted this lovable little pal at the Emporium in Magic Kingdom. Just like the previous shoulder pets he is a mini push that attaches to your shirt with a super strong magnet
“Harmonious” is one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney Park. The show is a beautifully crafted dreamscape of Disney music and images, reimagined by diverse cultural musicians and artists from around the world. It’s a transformative experience, where we can discover how Disney music has the power to inspire and unite us all with the magic of possibility.
There is no word on when this new show will be coming to Epcot. So far only 2 of the 4 barges have been installed with 2 more sitting backstage and a centerpiece has to be installed as well.
Aerial look at 2 of the video screen barges of Harmonious. The other 2 of this kind of barge are already staged in World Showcase Lagoon. pic.twitter.com/xNTBTCgyGD
“Harmonious” will feature daytime fountains, providing new energy to World Showcase Lagoon before evening falls and the forthcoming nighttime spectacular begins at EPCOT.
Many fans predict we Disney will unveil Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at the same time as Harmonious. Makes you wonder if they are going to hold out for the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary?
Right now Epcot has been focusing on getting the new lights complete for the entrance and Spaceship Earth. We are so glad that the Spaceship Earth Updates will remain permanent in Epcot! Doesn’t that concept art look beautiful?
Epcot is one of my favorite parks I can’t wait to see Harmonious, ride Remy, and more short term visit the Flower & Garden Festival which starts in just a couple of weeks!
During a recent episode of the U.K. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Dan Huxley a schoolteacher left audiences at home completely in shock when he got a very simple question about Pixar’s animated classic Finding Nemo and didn’t know the answer…
The options were Marlin, Nemo, Dory, and Bubbles. “I think Nemo is some sort of goldfish, but I don’t know,” Huxley said after host Jeremy Clarkson finished reading the options, reports The Sun.
The contestant chose to use his “phone a friend” lifeline first and called his father. “I’m hoping with three grandchildren he may have accidentally seen this film,” Huxley said. Amazingly, even Huxley’s father was no help! WHAT?!
So, the contestant used the 50-50 lifeline, which left Clarkson stunned and wondering how someone who works with children would not know the answer to this question. Huxley even said it was “so embarrassing” to use a second lifeline for a question he should know.”
Did you hear there's a new brunch in town? Enjoy the new Captains Sing Along Brunch at The BOATHOUSE every Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. New brunch bites include Shrimp and Grits, Smoked Salmon Bagel, Steak and Eggs, specialty drinks and more!? ? ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/8KvwBegAIJ
There are many decadent brunch bites now on the menu, including Shrimp & Grits (pictured above)…
…Smoked Salmon bagel (pictured above)…
…as well as Steak & Eggs (pictured above)! There are also many refreshing specialty drinks now available for brunch.
The BOATHOUSE, located in The Landing at Disney Springs, officially has your Sunday mornings planned out…Will you be trying out the new Captains Sing Along Brunch at The BOATHOUSE? Let us know in the comments below!
To see the rest of THE BOATHOUSE menu, make a reservation, or learn more about the restaurant, click HERE!
Disney is ready to bring the characters from its theme parks and classic films to life in a whole new way.
According to Hollywood Reporter Disney is teaming up with Ron Moore to develop a franchise for Disney+ that is set in the Magic Kingdom.
The first of these shows will be The Society of Explorers and Adventurers, described as being “set in a world where all the themed lands and characters of the Disney Parks and Classic films actually exist in another reality.”
Ron Moore will write and executive produce this all-new show for Disney+ and will work closely with the Disney Imagineering team for the creation, develpoment and design.
“I decided to go there mostly because my childhood was built around a lot of things that were Disney. I am a huge fan and aficionado of the Disneyland park in Anaheim to the point where I would go there by myself periodically and ride the rides.”
“The opportunity for me to get to work on a lot of the classic IP that Disney has and things in their library that meant so much to me as a child growing up and that I have shared with my children ultimately was just something I couldn’t pass up.”
At this time Disney has not released any information on this new show from Ron Moore.
