PHOTO: Mickey and Minnie Mouse to Greet Guests in Diamond-Studded Duds for Disneyland’s 60th

When Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration kicks off next month, Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be stepping out in style for the event…

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If you want to meet the pair in their 60th anniversary costumes, you’ll have to head out to Disneyland Resort for the Diamond Celebration beginning May 22, 2015. They will be appearing in Town Square at Disneyland Park along with Goofy, Pluto, Donald duck, Daisy, Chip, and Dale who will also have special costumes during the event’s run.

Disneyland Releases Tons of New Details on 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration; Merchandise, Food, Entertainment, & More!

In addition to the giveaways and new character costumes announced earlier today, the Disneyland Resort continues to roll-out new information of the 60th anniversary Diamond Celebration beginning May 22nd. Here’s what we have learned so far today:

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  • New details on the “Paint the Night” parade:

Tinker Bell leads the procession in a magical, musical overture, closely followed by a float reminiscent of the giant bass drum that led the “Main Street Electrical Parade.” Lightning McQueen races in with his buddy Mack Truck, who makes a hefty impression at 54-feet long, covered from headlights to tail pipe in gleaming light. Anna and Elsa from “Frozen” glide through the night in a shimmering palace of ice and snow, the tallest float in the new parade. Guests also will be delighted to see Cinderella, Rapunzel and beloved characters from tales such as “Monsters, Inc.,”  “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Toy Story,” with Mickey and his pals creating a breathtaking grand finale.

  • New details on the “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular:

Guests will be surrounded by the worlds of timeless Disney tales, from the tips of their toes to the sky high above, thanks to the largest installation of projection mapping technology in a Disney park and surprising special effects. One minute they will be standing on Main Street, U.S.A., and the next they could be stampeding across Simba’s Pride Lands, dancing with King Louie from “The Jungle Book,” traveling “Under the Sea” with the Little Mermaid, flying over London with Peter Pan, dripping in honey with Pooh in a whimsical dream of heffalumps and woozles, or quivering as Queen Elsa brings a glimmering blanket of snow over Disneyland.

Similar to Tinker Bell, Dumbo, and Zero, Nemo from the Disney-Pixar animated film “Finding Nemo,” Nemo will swim through the skies above Sleeping Beauty Castle in this new show, as the Matterhorn is transformed into the fiery peak of Mt. Wannahockaloogie.

  • For the new nighttime spectaculars, Disneyland will roll out new “Made with Magic” merchandise that glows with the show. Among the new items will be a souvenir sipper, new design ear hats & magic wands, and the paintbrush that debuted with the Paint the night Parade at Hong Kong Disneyland.
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The “Made with Magic” paintbrush available in hong Kong, allowing guests to paint performer costumes during the nighttime parade

  • Changes are coming to some already existing Disneyland entertainment come May 22nd:

During the Diamond Celebration, guests will be invited to become part of the musical magic, singing, dancing and marching along with resort performers such as the Disneyland Band, Dapper Dans, Red Car News Boys, Straw Hatters and Five & Dime. The after-dark “Mad T Party” will return to Disney California Adventure as a dazzling new “Diamond Mad T Party,” featuring sparkling new decor, interactive fun, dancing and delectable food and drink.

Guests may join a daily Diamond March-Along up Main Street, U.S.A., with the Disneyland Band and Disney characters in their sparkling, new Diamond Celebration costumes. The cavalcade concludes with a Diamond Sing-Along at Town Square in Disneyland Park. Also on Main Street, U.S.A., the Dapper Dans quartet will invite guests to join Diamond Sing-Alongs, while the Straw Hatters band will encourage Diamond Dance-Alongs.

Guests may Dream-Along with Mickey Mouse and the Red Car News Boys, as Mickey shares a whole new song about his vision for the Happiest Place on Earth. When the Five & Dime arrive on Buena Vista Street, guests will be immersed in a joyous Dance-Along with Dime, Goofy and the boys.

Mad T Party returns to Disney California Adventure beginning May 22, as guests are invited down the rabbit hole to experience the Diamond Mad T Party, a nighttime entertainment party inspired by Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” motion picture. The Mad T Party main stage will feature a live band, performing contemporary and classic rock favorites as well as newly mashed-up Disney tunes given a rare Mad T Party twist. When the band isn’t onstage, the White Rabbit DJ takes over and plays the latest, hottest dance tunes.

Also for Mad T Party, the Hottest Deck in Town dance crew will perform their high-energy show with a new look at a new location, the Hollywood Backlot Stage. Diamond Mad T Party guests will also play interactive games, take photos or just chill out with a cold drink from the Drink Me Bar or Chiller truck. A new photo location combines the fantastical spirit of the Mad T Party with a tribute to Disney’s past.

  • Over 500 new merchandise items are being introduced for the celebration:

Headwear will include a Diamond Celebration ear hat, Minnie Mouse rhinestone-embellished headband, and youth and adult baseball hats. Also being introduced from the Diamond Collection is a crystal-encrusted Minnie Mouse headband and Mickey Mouse ear hat.

Home Décor items will include frames, snow globes, mugs, a dinner plate, dessert plate, trivet, napkin, drinkware and bottle topper, as well as a beach towel, throws and pillow.

Toys will include an array of plush, a fashion doll, a Diamond Celebration truck hauler, train set, playing cards, puzzles, Sleeping Beauty Castle playset and more.

Open and limited edition pins, trading accessories, boxed pin sets and framed pin sets will be available.

Collectors also will be interested in limited release, limited edition and crystal embellished Vinylmation.

Art & Collectibles will include notable brands such as Precious Moments, Lenox, Highland Mint and Arribas Bros. Over the course of the celebration, fans will find artwork by Dave Avanzino, Disney Design Group (Costa Alavezos, Tyler Dumas, Susan Foy, Caley Hicks, Alex Maher, Randy Noble), Liana Hee, Ink & Paint artists, Brian Jowers, Lisa Keene, Jerrod Maruyama, Kurt Raymond, Tim Rogerson, SHAG, Javier Soto and The Thomas Kinkade Studios and Gregg Visintainer, among others.

  • It of course wouldn’t be a party without some new food and beverage offerings:

The Disneyland Resort is filled with a variety of popular dining options. For the Diamond Celebration, some new specialties will join the classic favorites, served in colorful Diamond Celebration souvenir containers.

Special Diamond Celebration Cupcakes will be found at the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café (lemon flavored) in Disneyland and the Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Café (orange flavored) in Disney California Adventure.

Appropriately sparkling for the Diamond Celebration, a Pomegranate Silver Sparkler, topped with lemon-lime foam and garnished with silver flakes, will be served at the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café on Main Street, U.S.A., in Disneyland.

At the Lucky Fortune Cookery in Disney California Adventure, a special Lucky Fortune Tea will feature mango, pineapple and passion fruit flavoring.

Exotic new Diamond Celebration beverages will also be available at Disneyland Resort hotel locations: a Longboard Lemonade at the PCH Grill in Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, and a Wild Raspberry Rapids Lemonade at White Water Snacks in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.

Diamond Celebration Crisped Rice Treats, Caramel Corn and Cotton Candy will be available at select locations in the parks.

All of these newly announced items come in addition to already revealed offerings such World of Color – Celebrate!, the Hatbox Ghost returning to the Haunted Mansion, Matterhorn Bobsleds enhancements, Peter Pan’s flight enhancements, Soarin’ enhancements, and the decorative overlays of the park icons.

Frozen Summer Fun Premium Package Being Offered Again

Reservations for the Frozen Summer Fun Premium Package (which was introduced last year) are now available for dates from June 17 to September 7. The offerings are about the same as 2014, but there is no event pin gift this time.

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Each Frozen Summer Fun Premium Package includes:

  • See Anna and Elsa in the reserved viewing for Frozen Royal Welcome, complete with refreshments (water, a selection of soft drinks, and ice cream)
  • Reserved seating for your choice of one show time of For the First Time In Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
  • Frozen Fireworks viewing with dessert party, a dazzling nighttime display of fireworks paired with Frozen-themed desserts as well as specialty alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages

Cost is $69 for adults, $39 for children age 3 to 9 (tax and gratuity are included). Reservations can be made online or by calling 407-939-3463. Package availability is limited.

Future Star Wars Disney Parks Park Toys & Merchandise Announced at Celebration

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There was a panel yesterday at Star Wars Celebration that discussed upcoming toys and merchandise from Disney based on the characters from “Star Wars Rebels” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” StarWars7news provides us with a breakdown of some of the future Star Wars merchandise we can all look forward to:

Disney store toys came first. The first announcement was Hologram Princess Leia Minnie and Pluto as R2-D2

Chief Chirpa got a plushie, alongside Wicket, Teebo, Lugray, Princess Kneesa, and Romba.

Darth Maul Donald Duck was another reveal, along with Star Wars art pieces and themed baseballs.

An expanded version of the Droid Factory build-a-figure is also coming. New hats and accessories are available.

May The Fourth Be With You and Revenge Of The Fifth had a few special releases.

Galactic Gathering attendees will get a MagicBand and an Aurebesh nametag. Pete as Jango Fett will be available to purchase here, along with several pins. Mystery Pin collections will also be available, and you can obtain mini prints and Dooney & Bourke bags. Mouse-eared character figures will be ready to buy at this event.

D-Tech Me has two figurines of a Jedi and a TIE fighter pilot.

Star Wars Weekends have an assortment of shirts available. Mini-globes, cups, and a new wave of character mashups will be made for the events. Jedi Mickey’s Secret Mission will be the last character mashup action figure set released for a while. However, more character mashups will be made available through plushies.

New blasters based on Boba Fett, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the Stormtroopers are available now. Youngling lightsabers are another forthcoming toy, allongside latex Rancor and Space Slug figures. Foam lightsaber and ball sets are in the works, along with box sets for the Prequel Trilogy and the Original Trilogy. Rebels box sets are also in the pipeline.

Star Wars racer toys include Chewbacca and the Inquisitor.

R2-D2 Rebel Trainer lets the droid project images that you can shoot at with a toy blaster.

Collector packs containing characters from all eras are also being made.

Build-A-Lightsaber is getting a whole new series of nearly 40 new pieces to customize your weapon for a more civilized time with.

Holographic R2-D2 is headed for Star Wars Weekends. In Fall, R2-D60 and R4-D23 will hit, alongside Imperial Binders, Luke Skywalker lightsabers, and a Yoda Santa Claus plush.

Disney Cruise will start up a line for Star Wars called “Cruising The Galaxy”.

Source: StarWars7News

BREAKING: Tomorrowland Movie Premiere To Be Held at Downtown Disney Anaheim

The mystery adventure film Tomorrowland, starring Academy Award winner George Clooney, will premiere at an invitation-only, celebrity studded event at the Disneyland Resort on May 9th. The film will have its inaugural screening at The Downtown Disney District rather than in the section of Disneyland with which it shares a name.

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In the film, a former boy-genius (Clooney) and a gifted teenager (Britt Robertson) set out on a dangerous mission to unearth the secrets of “Tomorrowland,” an enigmatic location caught between time and space. Featuring a screenplay by “Lost” writer and co-creator Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird, from a story by Lindelof & Bird & Jeff Jensen, Tomorrowland promises to take audiences on a thrill ride of nonstop adventures through new dimensions that have only been dreamed of.

Tomorrowland is expected to be screened at the AMC Downtown Disney theaters, with areas dedicated to a “red carpet” arrival area (presumably running in front of the ESPN Zone).

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In 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2011 Disneyland Park played host to each of the four Pirates of the Caribbean films.  At those events the films were shown on a large temporary screen poised on the edge of Tom Sawyer Island. In 2013 Disney California Adventure introduced The Lone Ranger.

If things work as they did at the earlier events, limited space may be available along the “red carpet” to view the film’s stars and celebrity guests as they arrive. Park hours could be adjusted and Downtown Disney District parking severely limited on the day of the event. Watch for details from WDW News Today for details as they become available.

Star Wars Weekends 2015 Merchandise Preview from Star Wars Celebration VII

Our Star Wars Celebration reporter Brendt is in Anaheim all weekend enjoying the panels, exhibitors and other festivities at the world’s largest Star Wars party! He just sent us in some great photos of some of the merchandise that we will soon see at Walt Disney World during Star Wars Weekends 2015 (May 15 – June 14).

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Disneyland 60th “Build a Droid” R2-D60. Will be made available at Star Wars Weekends as well as Disneyland’s 60 event. It’s not an LE item like they first told us.

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Darth Vader Photo Frame!

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Star Wars Weekends Autographs and Photo Book

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Disney is really getting in baseballs lately. We have recently seen a new Pirates and Steamboat Willie baseball… and here we have a Star Wars version.

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Star Wars Weekends Photo Frame

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Lots of new plush on the way including this Cheif Chirpa Ewok!!!

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A really cool Holographic R2-D2 in the “Build a Droid” line. We have been told to keep an eye out for more “Build a Droid” options and figures coming up.

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Yup, that is a Darth Vader Mini Snow Globe. Would be amazing with a mini Hoth scene inside.

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Star Wars Weekends 2015 mug seems a little bland.

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No cards on these, they seem like just props in the display case. Too bad, I was excited for a Rancor action figure.

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New additions to the Disney Character Star Wars action figure lineup. The Pluto as R2 from a previous series bundled with a new hologram version of Minnie as Leia! There is also a Pete as Jango Fett. He was in a previous series as Boba Fett.

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D-Tech Tie Fighter Pilot and Jedi versions are new this year.

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The 2015 May the Fourth and Revenge of the Fifth pins have an LE 5000 edition size.

Next, we will take a look at some of the pins that were produced for Star Wars Weekends:

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Death Star Lanyard Medal

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The droid mystery pins look absolutely incredible.

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9″ Death Star Vinylmation with 3″ Death Star Trooper will be sold during Week 3 of Star Wars Weekends.

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Star Wars Series 5 mystery 3″ set will include Jabba, Leia and Tie Fighter Pilot. There is also a Rebel Pilot Eachez.

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Limited Release Weekends Logo Pin

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Star Wars Helmets Pin Set

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Jabba’s Barge Jumbo Hinge Pin opens up.

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Boba Fett Slave I Jumbo Hinge Pin also opens up.

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Box Set with 2nd Death Star Pin

Allergy-Free Menus Debut at Disneyland and Walt Disney World

Diners with food allergies will now have more choices at restaurants in Disneyland and Walt Disney World. On April 14, Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts began to introduce new allergy-friendly menus at approximately 120 quick-service and table-service locations. The menus provide more convenience and readily available options for guests with special dietary requests.

Allergy Dining

“Over the years, the number of guests with food allergies and intolerances has continued to grow. In 2013 alone, our cast members assisted with more than 650,000 special dietary requests. These new allergy menus are another way in which we can provide high-quality, safe and more accessible alternatives, and the best possible dining experience for guests with specific dietary needs,” says Gary Jones, chef and culinary dietary specialist for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

The new allergy-friendly menus provide allergen content for each menu item, making informed choices easier. Menu selection includes appetizers (where applicable), entrées, side items, desserts and kids’ meals, and focuses on the most common allergens: gluten/wheat, milk, peanut, tree nut and fish.

Guests are still able to consult directly with a restaurant chef or special diets trained cast member. Guests are also encouraged to continue to communicate special dietary needs to restaurant cast members, as this allows the culinary team to take extra measures during preparation to prevent the introduction of the allergen.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the recipient of a FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) Award for dedication to providing a safe and enjoyable dining experience for vacationing families and their chefs have been recognized for their commitment to food allergy awareness, education and management.

The new menus will be introduced in signature restaurants on April 14, then debut at other table-service and quick-service restaurants (including Walt Disney World water parks, Downtown Disney and resort hotels) through September 2015. For more information on special dietary requests, click here for Walt Disney World Resort and click here for Disneyland Resort.

To check out a sample menu, click here.

PHOTOS & REVIEW: Tomorrowland Movie Preview Opens at Epcot Replacing Captain EO

The sneak peek of the upcoming Disney film TOMORROWLAND began at Epcot’s Imagination! pavilion over the weekend:

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 Captain EO was removed from the main sign and replaced with simply “Magic Eye Theater”

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The strange stripe on the back wall was replaced with concept art for the film

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You can clearly see where the Captain EO sign was…

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While you wait, there is a countdown clock and some audio clips of Brad Bird talking about the film

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 There is a costume and rocket pack from the film on display in the waiting area

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The sneak preview is 12 minutes long and focuses on a part of the film that includes many famous Disney attractions and characters. I won’t spoil it, but if you attended Destination D: Attraction Rewind, you have seen most of this preview. However, the in-theater lighting, wind, and water effects are a nice touch. The preview is worth a watch the next time you visit Epcot, and certainly if you are a big Disney Parks fan. You have until May 24th to catch the sneak peek at Tomorrowland in the Magic Eye Theater.

Tomorrowland hits theaters May 22nd.

Photos by Jose Castillo and Kelly Derda

PHOTOS & VIDEO: Digital Movie Posters and New Digital Projectors Installed at The Great Movie Ride

While we wait for the full roll-out of the Turner Classic Movies overlay coming to the Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, some elements of the rehab have already been installed and are in use now:

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 While not turned on yet, the new digital movie posters in the queue are installed

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 Some new logos for the attraction were produced

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 Touchscreens are being installed with the various prop displays in the queue

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The original logo poster will be sticking around thankfully

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 The pre-show “coming attractions” are now being presented via a digital projector

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The same can be said for the finale film montage

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While overall everything looked much crisper, there was clearly a lot of older film clips that didn’t make the conversion so well. Our theory is that this is simply the film that has been shown converted to a digital format with no restoration. Scenes from newer movies looked clear while the older ones looked brighter, but nearly as bad as they did before. With a new pre-show and finale film debuting soon, this is understandable as these clips will not be seen in this new digital format for very long before they are replaced.

We have a short video of the two films so you can see just how big the difference is in the projection quality:

Overall, it is exciting to see changes made and it shouldn’t be long until the new pre-show, finale, and such are installed.

Typhoon Lagoon to Host “Teen Beach Movie 2” Beach Party

As part of the Coolest Summer Ever at Walt Disney World Resort, a new summertime dance party inspired by Disney Channel’s upcoming Teen Beach 2 (sequel to the popular Teen Beach Movie) will hit the beach at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park.

From May 22 through July 5, guests can join in the “Teen Beach 2:” Beach Party at various times throughout day. The fun includes “bikers” and “surfers” who dance and play beach-themed games with guests as a DJ spins remixes of retro tunes. Taking over part of Typhoon Lagoon’s main beach area, guests can participate in relays on the sand, hula hoop spinning, water balloon and beach ball tossing, and the grooviest dance moves this side of Mt. Mayday.

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Premiering this summer on Disney Channel, Teen Beach 2 is set months after surfer sweethearts Mack and Brady return from a summer adventure that transported them into Brady’s favorite 1960s beach party movie, “Wet Side Story,” only to receive a surprise real-world visit from Lela, Tanner, Butchy and their other new-found surfer and biker buddies.