Walt Disney World Theme Parks
Magic Kingdom Park
New! Tony’s Town Square Restaurant to Serve All Day: Beginning July 3, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant at Magic Kingdom will serve Guests continuously from 11:00am to 9:30pm as opposed to offering separate lunch and dinner meal periods. The menu will continue to feature popular Italian specialties including pizza, pasta, and salad. Reservations for this new all-day offering are now available for dates after July 3.
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 8, June 15 and June 29, 2015.
Epcot
New! “Frozen Ever After” and “Royal Sommerhus” coming to Norway: With summer heating up, work is underway on two cool new “Frozen” 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.
New! Epcot – MyMagic+ Service Center Temporarily Unavailable thru 6/13: The MyMagic+ Service Center located inside East Innoventions will be temporarily unavailable from June 7 – June 13.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
New! “Frozen Fever” Short Added to “Frozen Summer Fun”: During “Frozen Summer Fun,” Guests will be able to enjoy the new animated short “Frozen Fever,” along with a peek behind the scenes at the making of the film. “Frozen Fever” will be showing at the ABC Sound Studio, twice each hour beginning at 10:00am daily from June 17 – September 7.
Reminder! Star Wars Weekends Schedule: Immerse yourself in another world with the power of the Force during Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This event runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 15–June 14. While at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll find an entire saga’s worth of characters, specialty shows and celebrities on hand for pictures, autographs, motorcades and more. The 2015 Star Wars Weekends celebrity appearances include:
Weekend V (June 12 – 14)
- Frank Oz: Yoda (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi; Star Wars Rebels)
- Ray Park: Darth Maul (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace)
- Peter Mayhew: Chewbacca (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith; Star Wars: A New Hope; Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back; Star Wars: Return of the Jedi)
- Taylor Gray: Ezra Bridger (Star Wars Rebels)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
New! Creature Comforts Reopening 6/18/15: 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. Creature Comforts will also offer three co-branded merchandise Animal Kingdom “You are here” items – the mug, Acrylic Tumbler, and Ceramic Travel Tumbler.
New! Pollinator Day Coming to Rafiki’s Planet Watch: Disney’s Animal Kingdom will celebrate Pollinator Day June 11 at Rafiki’s Planet Watch from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Guests will learn about all kinds of pollinators and plants, come face-to-face with some of the everyday products we use that are dependent on pollinators and play games like the Bee Smart app and pollinator trivia. Handouts will be available to educate Guests about building wildlife-friendly backyards, and posters will be on display about one of our conservation projects, Elephants and Bees. Clips from Disneynature’s “Wings of Life” will be featured, and smaller Guests can dress up like bees playing “Build-a-Bee.” Bug tongs, bee finger puppets, seed packets and more will be offered as takeaways from the event. There will also be an exclusive Pollinator Day cupcake available at Isle of Java in Discovery Island and Kusafiri Bakery in Africa!
New! 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.
New! Bats Temporarily Unavailable for Guest Viewing: Beginning June 15, the bats on Maharajah Jungle Trek will be offstage for 4-6 weeks while the exhibit is refurbished. During the refurbishment, the Wilderness Explorers bat badge will continue to be distributed in the breezeway outside the exhibit.
Walt Disney World Resort Hotels
New! Mickey’s Backyard BBQ Now Serving Four Days Per Week: Additional dates have been added to Mickey’s Backyard BBQ. In addition to Thursday and Saturday’s, you can now book Tuesday and Friday, too. This all-you-care-to-enjoy picnic features finger-licking BBQ favorites like barbecued ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, fresh corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese and new dishes like jambalaya, honey-mustard baked chicken and a selection of salads and kid-friendly veggies. If dancing up a storm makes you thirsty, quench it with a large selection of ice-cold sodas and soft drinks. Adults can enjoy Bud Light and Yuengling draft beers, Chardonnay, Merlot, White Zinfandel and Red Sangria included with dinner. For dessert, look for a new warm fruit cobbler or strawberry shortcake (when it’s in season) in addition to the popular Mickey-shaped ice-cream bars and other frozen treats. Dance the night away with a live country-western band and character appearances throughout the night. The character meet and greet area has also been enhanced to allow for more time with your favorite characters for photos and autographs.
Walt Disney World Resort – General
New! Details Emerge About New Restaurants Coming Soon: The Edison, a lavish “Industrial Gothic”-style restaurant, bar and nighttime destination that will feature exceptional classic American food, artisanal craft cocktails and unparalleled live entertainment. Similar to its sister location on the west coast, The Edison at Disney Springs will be dedicated to a resurgence of old-world style, sophistication and romance. Themed to a 1920s-period electric company, the space will recall an exuberant era of invention and imagination. With 35-foot ceilings and a range of themed areas to explore, The Edison will feature nightly entertainment including contortionists, palm readers, DJs and more.
More details on STK Orlando have also been announced, including a new rendering and another fun bit of info: this location will be the only spot that offers rooftop dining, in a gorgeous lounge setting, at Disney Springs. Progress also continues on Morimoto Asia, the first pan-Asian restaurant from celebrity Chef Masaharu Morimoto. STK Orlando and Morimoto Asia will debut later this year. The Edison will open in 2016.
Reminder! “Teen Beach 2:” Beach Party at Typhoon Lagoon May 22-July 5: As part of the Coolest Summer Ever at Walt Disney World Resort, a new summertime dance party is surfing into Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. From May 22 through July 5, Guests can join in the “Teen Beach 2:” Beach Party daily (weather permitting) at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park Surf Pool Beach. Guests can join “bikers” Rev and Kicks and “surfers” Bingo and Sunny as they dance and play beach-themed games while DJ “Amp” spins remixes of retro tunes. “Teen Beach 2:” Beach Party is inspired by the Disney Channel Original Movie, “Teen Beach 2,” set to premiere this summer.
Merchandise Events
June 10 – 14: Artist Greg McCullough returns this month with special appearances and signings June 10 – 14 from Noon – 8 p.m. at Art of Disney in Epcot and June 26 – July 1 from 1 – 9 p.m. at Art of Disney in Downtown Disney Marketplace. Learn more.
June 11 – 22: Representatives from Precious Moments dolls will be on hand for the debut of the Patriotic Collection. Meet the representatives and see the dolls throughout the day, each day, June 11 – 22 and June 26 – July 20 at Once Upon A Toy in Downtown Disney Marketplace. Artist Appearance Tip: Look for a special appearance by designer and artist Linda Rick, June 13-14. Learn more.
June 13: Join us as we welcome back artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith to WonderGround Gallery at Marketplace Co-Op in Downtown Disney Marketplace. Take part in a special artist showcase and signing from 4 – 7 p.m. Learn more.
Written by Lori Wall: 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.