Walt Disney World Theme Parks
Magic Kingdom Park
New! Splash Mountain Now Open During Extra Magic Hours: Splash Mountain will be open during evening Extra Magic Hours beginning June 13.
Reminder! Adjusted Times for Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It!: Due to refurbishment work on Main Street, U.S.A., Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! will be presented at 12:30 and 5:40 p.m. on June 15 and June 29, 2015.
Epcot
New! Sounds Like Summer Concert Series Under Way: Enjoy the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series at Epcot through July 25. Every night, hear talented tribute bands bring top rock n’ roll hits to the America Gardens Theatre stage. Showtimes for the concert series are 5:30, 6:45 and 8 p.m., and on July 4, 5:15, 6:30, 7:45 and 9 p.m.
- 2U – A Tribute to U2 – June 14-20
- Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot – The Ultimate Billy Joel Show – June 21-26
- Don’t Look Back – A Tribute to Boston – June 27- July 4
- Fire & Ice – A Tribute to Pat Benatar – July 5-11 NEW!
- Stayin’ Alive – A Tribute to the Bee Gees – July 12-18
- Hotel California – A Salute to the Eagles – July 19-25
New! Taste Track Opens Near Test Track: Taste Track, a new food and beverage location at Epcot, is serving up a few new twists on the favorite sandwich — grilled cheese — with creative specialty grilled cheese sandwiches! Try the Gruyere and Applewood smoked bacon or elevate your sandwich with the Fontina and tomato basil version. For a sweet take on the classic sandwich, try the Canadian cheddar and apples grilled cheese sandwich on cinnamon raisin bread. Each sandwich comes with your choice of tomato bisque soup or a side salad. Other menu items include roasted chicken salad and a kid’s grilled cheese sandwich.
Reminder! “Frozen Ever After” and “Royal Sommerhus” coming to Norway: With summer heating up, work is underway on two cool new experiences coming to the Norway pavilion at Epcot in 2016.
- Inspired by the kingdom of Arendelle, the “Frozen Ever After” attraction takes place in the happily-ever-after-time following “Frozen.” Guests will discover that Elsa has embraced her magical powers and created a winter-in-summer day for everyone to experience. After visiting Elsa’s Ice Palace and the ice-blue world of the North Mountain, Guests will return to the Bay of Arendelle. And of course, they’ll also see some of their favorite “Frozen” characters, including the Snowgies from the animated short “Frozen Fever.” Featuring favorite moments and music from the film, new technology and classic Disney storytelling, it promises to be fun for the entire family. The “Royal Sommerhus” will also expand the Norway Pavilion as a charming setting for Guests to meet Anna and Elsa. With a design that will reflect the cultural arts and crafts of Norway, the Sommerhus will add to the ambiance of the pavilion by further connecting Guests to the spectacular sights that inspired the “Frozen” film.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
New! ‘Frozen Summer Fun’ Kicks Off Jun 17: Now through Sept 7, Guests will be able to enjoy a full day of “Frozen” fun during this summer-long event. Here are the highlights of what’s new this year:
- Frozen Royal Welcome – This procession happens twice each day, and this year Olaf is joining the fun. Guests will get to see Anna, Elsa and Kristoff make an appearance on an all-new ice palace float.
- Olaf’s Summer Cool Down – This new show located in the Center Stage will bring Olaf and some of his friends together to have fun with Guests “In Summer.”
- “Frozen Fever” – New this year, Guests will be able to head into the ABC Sound Studio to enjoy special screenings of the new animated short “Frozen Fever,” along with a peek behind the scenes at the making of the film.
- For the First Time in Forever: A “Frozen” Sing-Along Celebration – This popular show will move into The Hyperion Theater at the heart of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where Guests will experience all-new in-theater effects and special appearances by Anna, Elsa and Kristoff.
- “Frozen” Fireworks – Following the “Coolest Summer Ever” Dance Party, Olaf returns to the Center Stage with Anna, Elsa and Kristoff for a grand finale of a firework spectacular.
New! “Once Upon a Time” Display on Streets of America: A window display debuted on Streets of America themed to the ABC hit series, “Once Upon a Time.” Although this is not an actual store, the storefront window display is fun for fans of “Once Upon a Time” to view and discover.
New! ‘Frozen Summer Fun’ Cupcake: On Wednesday, June 17, Disney’s Hollywood Studios debuted three Frozen-themed specialty cupcakes! Anna’s cupcake is made out of chocolate buttercream, Elsa’s cupcake is made out of vanilla buttercream and Olaf’s cupcake is made out of carrot cake with cream cheese icing. These treats will be available at the
following locations: ABC Commissary, FairFax Fare, Backlot Express, Studio Catering Co., Pizza Planet, Starring Rolls, Rosie’s All American Café, and The Trolley Car Café. The cupcakes are included in Disney Dining Plan, and all “Frozen” specialty cupcakes will be available through Sept. 7
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
New! Zuri’s Sweets Shop Opens in Harambe Market: As the latest addition to Harambe Market, Zuri’s Sweets Shop is an extension of Mombasa Marketplace and is sure to become a must-stop shopping location for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park Guests. This traditional candy counter with an African twist will feature 80 exclusive food items inspired by the sights, sounds and flavors of Africa. Guests can buy assorted bulk trail mixes, bottles of the signature sweet and spicy sauce from Flame Tree Barbecue, themed sweets from “The Lion King,” and much more. In addition to flavorful treats, Zuri’s Sweets Shop also includes items for the home, such as decorative “Blessing Baskets,” which are beautiful, handcrafted baskets created by artisans from Africa.
New! Creature Comforts Opens June 18: Creature Comforts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park will reopen June 18 as a newly re-imagined food and beverage location. The menu will include Starbucks® coffee and espresso beverages, Frappuccino® blended beverages and signature breakfast sandwiches and pastries; as well as a few classics crafted by Disney Chefs.
Reminder! Pizzafari to Offer Lunch and Dinner Only: Beginning June 17, Pizzafari will open at 11 a.m. for lunch service. Breakfast will no longer be available at Pizzafari, however Guests will have a variety of breakfast options, including Donald’s Safari Breakfast at Tusker House, Rainforest Café and other kiosks and stands throughout the park. Opening June 18, Creature Comforts will also offer breakfast fare.
Walt Disney World Resort Hotels
New! Direct Transportation Test for Guests at Select Resorts: From June 14-30, select Guests at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Contemporary Resort have been asked to participate in a pilot dining test that will provide direct transportation to other resort hotel signature restaurants including: Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Jiko at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Flying Fish at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort. As part of the test, Guests will receive complimentary round-trip taxi vouchers that will be delivered to their rooms upon arrival. By doing this, we hope to better understand Guest interest in resort-to-resort dining.
New! Poolside Service Now Available at Disney’s Polynesian Resort Pool: Relaxing just got easier for Guests staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Poolside service is now available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Lava Pool Deck and beach. Guests can choose to have cocktails, flatbreads, sandwiches, kid’s meals, desserts and more delivered right to their spot in the sand.
Walt Disney World Resort – General
New! Vivoli Gelateria Opens at The Landing: Guests can now experience a little taste of Italy at Vivoli Gelateria, a new food & beverage offering at The Landing. Founded in Florence, Italy, Vivoli Gelateria showcases the time-honored art of gelato making as perfected by three generations of family. The Downtown Disney location is Vivoli’s first U.S. storefront and serves traditional Italian treats including expertly crafted gelato in more than a dozen flavors made with fresh, seasonal ingredients; sorbet; panini sandwiches and espresso drinks. Vivoli is located next to Raglan Road, across from Waterview Park.
Reminder! Downtown Disney Becoming Disney Springs: As construction continues for the transformation of Downtown Disney to Disney Springs, there’s still many areas that are currently under development. Yet, Downtown Disney offers plenty of shopping, dining and entertainment already. In fact, many new places have already opened. Here’s a hyperlapse look at a day at Downtown Disney in Walt Disney World.
Merchandise Events
New! Summer Merchandise Coming Soon: Several new items are on their way to Disney parks this summer. One of the most requested items is a watch slider for the MagicBand and two are on their way! Memento Mori, the Haunted Mansion-themed shop located in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom Park, inspired two open edition pins coming late summer. One pin resembles the brooch that female cast members wear in the location, while the other looks like a sign found outside the shop. A Cogsworth medium-sized figurine is coming this September (Cogsworth’s face is a working clock!) Also arriving this fall is a new 12-inch Figment plush created especially for the 20th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. This fall, Chernabog from Walt Disney’s “Fantasia” and Hades from Disney’s “Hercules” will be featured on new Disney Villain T-shirts. Later this year, ornaments featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse dressed in attire representing different Disney Theme Parks will be released, including an Epcot ornament featuring Mickey and Minnie are wearing their spacesuits from the 1980s. Look for these and other items coming to select merchandise locations at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort.
June 18 – 21: Meet artist Larry Dotson throughout the day from 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. at Main Street Cinema at Magic Kingdom Park. Learn more.
June 18 – 23: Stop in and find some of the latest releases by artist David E. Doss from 1 – 9 p.m., each day, at Art of Disney in the Downtown Disney Marketplace. Learn more.
June 20 – 21: Humor columnist and author, Dave Barry will be on hand for a special appearance and signing of his newest book, “The Worst Class Trip Ever.” Meet Dave, June 20 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Writer’s Stop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and June 21 from 4 – 5 p.m. at Once Upon a Toy at Downtown Disney Marketplace. Learn more.
June 20: A new hand-painted limited edition Ink & Paint cel, titled Ariel and Friends, will make a splash at theAnimation Gallery at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Look for appearances by the artists from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 – 5 p.m. on the day of release. Not able to make it? A special pre-purchase opportunity will be available now through June 18, 2015. Learn more.
June 24 – 27: Meet Fragrance Designer Geir Ness throughout the day at Puffin’s Roost in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot.
Lori is a lifelong fan and visitor of Walt Disney World! Her love of Disney World has grown through visits with her own family as well as through planning magical vacations for others! Lori is an expert in maximizing vacations while sticking to a travel budget. Contact her about saving an extra 5% off your Disney vacation with an insider tip! Book your vacation with Lori at (845) 698- 0102 or request a price online.