DISNEY NEWS ROUNDUP: Special Holiday Treats Unveiled; Upgraded Fantasmic! Returns; Holiday Season & Special Offerings Begin; More Characters Return; Cruise News & More
The holiday season has officially arrived and we have lots of details on a wide variety of holiday offerings including an impressive line-up of special food and drink treats available at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Speaking of Christmas wishes coming true, Fantasmic! is finally back with some great upgrades. We have some more character greetings returning along with some Disney Cruise Line news. All this and more below in this week’s news roundup.
1 – Fantasmic! Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
After a nearly two-and-a-half-year absence, Fantasmic! has returned to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. After receiving some technology updates, the show has never sounded and looked better. The show also has a new Disney Heroes section that incorporates new fan-favorite characters into the show. Learn more at the link below.
Click here for the 10 things to know about Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
2 – Disney Unveils Special Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Food Offerings
It wouldn’t be a Disney event without exclusive food and beverage items for guests to enjoy. While there is hot chocolate and cookies included with the party ticket, guests have a chance to enjoy other treats for purchase. Learn more at the link below.
3 – The Holiday Season Has Begun at Walt Disney World
The week of the year that includes Halloween and November 1 is one of the most memorable weeks to visit Walt Disney World. After the last Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party concludes on Halloween night, crews quickly move it to begin the transformation from Halloween and fall decorations to sparkling holiday decorations. That night starts a multi-day transformation that will bring holiday magic to the four theme parks, more than 30 hotels, and other areas across the 40-square-mile resort.
Glistening with colorful lights, festive decorations, and Christmas trees galore, Walt Disney World Resort is full of holiday magic, ringing in this festive season like nowhere else.
The 65-foot-tall Magic Kingdom Park Christmas tree, adorned with dazzling lights and ornaments, welcomes guests to the park, where they’ll discover favorite attractions featuring special holiday overlays, Disney characters dressed in the spirit of the season, and seasonal entertainment.
Ornately decorated shop windows beckon those searching for gifts for family and friends. And every night, a wintry snow falls as guests wander down Main Street, U.S.A., and are immersed in the joyous atmosphere.
This year also offers guests a last chance to experience the holidays during the 50th-anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World Resort. Each night special projections will create glittering holiday-themed displays on select theme park icons, complementing their transformation into 50th Anniversary Beacons of Magic, which will appear seasonally on select nights.
This coming week will see the first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on Tuesday, November 8, while the other parks officially kick off their holiday offerings on Friday, November 11. Visit the link below to learn more about Walt Disney World’s offerings this holiday season.
Click here for an overview of the offerings at Walt Disney World for the 2022 holiday season.
4 – Andy’s Toys Return to Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Last weekend, Woody, Buzz, and Jessie returned to greeting guests near Toy Story Mania’s entrance. The toys had not been available for greeting since March 2020, though you could see them in the Pixar Pals motorcade. Generally, the toys are available for greeting from 9 am until 4:30 pm but check the My Disney Experience app for times on the day of your visit as the hours may change.
5 – Guide to Can’t-Miss 2022 Gingerbread Displays and Treats at Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resorts, and on the Disney Wish
One of our favorite things to do during the holiday season is touring the gingerbread displays at the resorts while enjoying a delicious treat. This year, many fantastic displays are returning, along with a great lineup of treats for guests to enjoy. Learn more at the link below.
6 – Disney Cruise Line Announces Record Group of Super Heroes and Villains for 2023 Marvel Day at Sea Sailings
Setting sail January through March from Miami, Marvel Day at Sea sailings in 2023 will debut new characters and shows that unlock the inner Super Heroes in lifelong Marvel fans and newcomers alike. Our Marvel Day at Sea in 2019 is still one of our most favorite cruises on Disney Cruise Line. Learn more about these epic cruises below.
Click here for more information on 2023 Marvel Day at Sea.
7 – Exclusive ‘Strange World’ Sneak Peek at Disney Parks, Disney Cruise Line
Guest at Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line will be able to catch a sneak peek at the upcoming “Strange World.” Disney Cast Member Cayla Ward has all the details below.
Calling all adventure-seekers! Guests visiting select Disney Parks can soon get an early look at scenes from the newest film from Walt Disney Animation Studios’: “Strange World.” A special sneak peek of the film will be playing beginning, Nov. 4, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. Sneak peeks of the film will also be coming soon to Disneyland Paris and Disney Cruise Line.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ original action-packed adventure “Strange World” introduces a legendary family of explorers, the Clades, as they attempt to navigate an uncharted, treacherous land alongside a motley crew that includes a mischievous blob, a three-legged dog and a slew of ravenous creatures.
Helmed by Don Hall (Oscar-winning “Big Hero 6,” “Raya and the Last Dragon”) with co-director/writer Qui Nguyen (co-writer “Raya and the Last Dragon”), and produced by Roy Conli (Oscar-winning “Big Hero 6,” “Tangled”), this film will take audiences into a larger-than-life adventure they won’t forget.
Enjoy this special announcement from Jake Gyllenhaal (“Searcher Clade”) and Gabrielle Union (“Meridian Clade”).
Mark your calendars to see ‘Strange World’ when it releases to theaters on Nov. 23, 2022!
8 – Disney Cruise Line Returns to the 96th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Once again, Disney Cruise Line will be participating in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Disney Cast Member Melanie Hager shares more below.
Whether you’re lining the city streets of New York City or watching from the comfort of your home, one of the greatest ways for families to kick off the holiday season is by watching the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade together.
Disney Cruise Line debuted an all-new cruise ship float during the turkey day tradition last year, and I am thrilled to share that the same stunning vessel will be returning to the parade later this month! This year, our majestic “ship” – inspired by the fantastical style of the Disney Wish – will float through the streets of New York once again, accompanied by an all-new performance in Herald Square.
This year’s live parade performance will be inspired by one of the new Broadway-style shows on board the Disney Wish, “Disney Seas the Adventure.” Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse and Goofy will lead an incredible cast of performers and Disney characters in this show-stopping number, which has quickly become a guest favorite aboard our newest ship.
Be sure to gather your friends and family and tune in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC-TV on Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. to noon in all time zones.
We’ll “see you real soon” on 34th Street!
What’s New and Happening Now at Walt Disney World Resort
The New Disney World Normal: Visiting Post-Pandemic – What You Need to Know
Click here for what you need to know about visiting Walt Disney World post-pandemic.
Now through November 19, 2022 – 2022 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
Click here for details on the 2022 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.
Click here for photos of the menu boards for the Global Marketplaces with pricing for easy planning!
Now Open – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Now Through March 31, 2023 – The Most Magical Celebration – 50 Years of Walt Disney World
Coming Soon to Walt Disney World
November 8 – December 30 – Holiday Season at Walt Disney World
Click here for an overview of offerings of the Holiday season at Walt Disney World.
November 8-December 22, Select Nights – Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom
Click here for dates, pricing, and details for the 2022 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!
Click here to see special Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party food offerings.
November 13, 2022 – Blizzard Beach Reopens
Click here for more on the reopening of Blizzard Beach on November 13.
November and Thanksgiving Weekend
Click here for all you need to know about Thanksgiving Eats and Treats at Walt Disney World.
November 25 – December 30 – EPCOT Festival of the Holidays
Click here for the lineup of Celebrity Narrator Lineup for the Candlelight Processional.
January 13 – February 20, 2023 – EPCOT Festival of the Arts
Click here to learn more about the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Arts.
Spring 2023 – Tron Lightcycle Run Coming to Magic Kingdom
Click here to learn more about TRON / Lightcycle Run coming to Magic Kingdom in spring 2023.
2023 – Happily Ever After Returns to Magic Kingdom
Click here about Happily Ever After and its return to Magic Kingdom in 2023.
New & Coming Soon to Disney Cruise Line
The Disney Wish
Click here to learn more (and watch) the Christening Ceremony Celebration of the Disney Wish!
Click here to learn about staterooms and our room review on the Disney Wish.
Click here to learn about upper deck fun and the AquaMouse – the first Disney attraction at sea!
Click here for an overview of family dining on the Disney Wish!
Click here to learn more about stage show entertainment on the Disney Wish!
Itineraries in 2022 and 2023
Click here to learn about early 2023 itineraries on Disney Cruise Line!
Click here for information on Pixar Day at Sea coming in early 2023!
Click here for information on Marvel Day at Sea on Disney Cruise Line in 2023.
Click here for information about Disney Cruise Line’s Summer 2023 Itineraries.
Click here for details on Disney Cruise Line Fall 2023 Itineraries.
Coming to Disney Cruise Line
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