PHOTOS: New Disney Skyliner Concept Art Released on Epcot Construction Walls

Now located on the construction walls at International Gateway at Epcot, guests can get a closer look at the upcoming Disney Skyliner gondola transportation system.

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A map of the system, as well as an overhead rendering of the International Gateway station can be seen.

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The art recently released by Disney for the Epcot station is also found on the walls here.

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However, this are some other new pieces to be seen…

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The Disney Skyliner logo.

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The final piece shows a view from above and a look across the park to Spaceship Earth and the nearby France pavilion.

No opening date has been provided as of yet for the Disney Skyliner system.

PHOTOS COURTESY @ARTISTNERD_16 ON TWITTER.

WDWNT’s Top 7 Things That Happened at Disney Parks in 2017

As 2017 comes to a close, we look back at some of the greatest moments in Disney Parks this year. From new restaurants and attractions, to festivals and more, 2017 added so much to the Disney Parks we love. So, in no particular order, here are the seven (yeah,…. seven) best things from 2017 (in our opinions, of course).

Be sure to read more about each of them by clicking their titles.

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!

Mission: Breakout had many fans upset when news broke that DCA’s Tower of Terror would be gone for good, but after the attraction opened in May, many people’s opinions quickly changed. Not only is Guardians of the Galaxy a worthy replacement for Tower of Terror, but it might even be a superior one. Either way, it’s a welcomed new attraction that takes Disney’s unique drop tower ride and adds a ton of charm the way only Disney knows how.

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Geyser Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

What’s not to love about Geyser Point Grill and Bar? This new restaurant offers fantastic food and drink options, breathtaking views of Bay Lake, and a cozy outdoor environment that will surely please guests. With solid menu prices and being just a boat ride away from Magic Kingdom, Geyser Point has quickly become one of our favorite spots on property.

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Reopening of the Disneyland Railroad with New Magic

After a lengthy bit of downtime, the Disneyland Railroad reopened this summer with new and enhanced scenes that have been a hit with guests. Both the Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas were restored to their original glory, with each scene looking fresh and having the added benefit of some new aesthetic touches. This seminal attraction has been preserved to inspire and entertain new generations of guests, while the new area north of the Rivers of America is a beautiful new vista.

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Happily Ever After Nighttime Spectacular

When people heard that Wishes was going to end at Magic Kingdom, there was a lot of concern, and rightfully so. However, Happily Ever After debuted in May and won the hearts of Disney fans from all corners of the world. With its outstanding soundtrack, impressive new technologies, unrelenting usage of pyrotechnics, and thoughtful use of beloved Disney IPs, Happily Ever After is perhaps the new greatest Disney fireworks show to date.

 

Opening of Pandora – The World of Avatar

It took nearly seven years from the time it was announced, but in 2017 Pandora – The World of Avatar finally opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. After all the years it took, the money invested, and confusion among fans, was Pandora worth it? The answer is a resounding yes! Pandora proves that with the proper resources, attention, and passion, Disney can still create something so unfamiliar and amazing that they further raise the bar for what a theme park can and should be. The World of Avatar is absolutely stunning, and houses a phenomenal restaurant, an incredibly lifelike Audio-Animatronic, and one of the most groundbreaking attractions ever conceived. Thanks to Pandora, 2017 has been the biggest year yet in theme park innovation.

REVIEW: Initial Thoughts from Inside Pandora - The World of AVATAR at Disney's Animal Kingdom

 

Halloween Comes to Disney California Adventure

At the D23 Expo in July Disney announced that for the first time, Disney California Adventure would be celebrating the Halloween season in a big way. Not only did the park do a wonderful job with the project, but they’ve created what is being seen as one of the most memorable Halloween celebrations ever in a theme park. Just look at Cars Land’s Haul-O-Ween celebration, never mind the new decorations on Buena Vista Street and the Monsters After Dark overlay of Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s reason enough to make the trip out to Disneyland Resort.

 

Inaugural Year of Epcot’s Festival of the Arts

2017 started out strong with the inaugural year of the International Festival of the Arts at Epcot. The festival sets itself apart from the long running Flower and Garden and Food and Wine festivals by offering some of the best entertainment, food, and exhibits we’ve seen yet at an Epcot festival. While not quite perfect, the Festival of the Arts is a welcomed addition to Epcot, and we can’t wait to see it evolve over the coming years.

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As you can see, 2017 has been quite a great year for Disney Parks fans. With so many new and thoughtful changes, 2017 ends with the promise of a stronger and better Disney experience for all guests for years to come.

WDWNT’s Top 7 Things Coming to Disney Parks in 2018 (New Roller Coasters, Returning Parades, and More!)

2018 looks to be a promising year for Disney Parks, which is surprising given it is the calm before the storm which is 2019. With so many new attractions, restaurants, and entertainment options on the way, we are listing the seven (yeah, seven…) things that have us most excited for the new year.

Paint the Night Returns to Disneyland 

Paint the Night will finally be making a return to the Disneyland Resort in Spring 2018 as part of PIXAR Fest. I would say we are excited for this event, but it’s really just for the return of this amazing parade, which will now perform at Disney California Adventure. Frozen has been removed from the parade and new float is being added to fit the PIXAR promotion (rumored to be Inside Out-themed). We may not be excited for PIXAR Pier or PIXAR Fest next summer, but we’re sure excited to have Paint the Night back.

 

Tokyo Disneyland Celebrates 35 Years of Magic

Beginning Spring 2018, Tokyo Disneyland will hold the “Happiest Celebration” for the resort’s 35th anniversary. With a new daytime parade, nighttime spectacular, decorations, specialty food and drink offerings and more, Tokyo Disneyland will have tons to offer to guests visiting during the celebration.

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The Epcot International Festival of the Arts Returns

Returning January 12 is the Epcot International Festival of the Arts. The festival was a big success in 2017, so for 2018 it’s expanding to seven days a week until February 19th. We can’t wait to see the changes and improvements to the festival this year!

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Animal Kingdom Celebrates 20th Anniversary 

Walt Disney World’s youngest park will be turning 20 in 2018, and while Disney has been a little scarce on details regarding a specific celebration, we already know that Flights of Wonder will be replaced by a new bird show featuring the characters from Pixar’s Up. In addition, D23 will be hosting some sort of ticketed event on the actual anniversary, April 22nd.

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Caribbean Beach Undergoes a Major Transformation 

By the time Caribbean Beach Resort’s transformation is complete in late-summer, the resort will look almost indistinguishable from the original incarnation. We can’t wait to see the new Centertown Marketplace, Shutters Restaurant, lobby and more that will be completely reimagined when the project is finished.

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For a better look at what Caribbean Beach used to look like, check out our video tour.

New Restaurants Coming to Disney Springs 

The Edison will open at Disney Springs on New Years Day, and that’s just the first restaurant coming to the shopping and dining district in 2018. Terralina Crafted Italian by “Top Chef Master” Tony Mantuano will be opening sometime in 2018 where Portobello’s currently is, Jaleo will open on the West Side of Disney Springs and offer some flavors of Spain from chef José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup, and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill will be opening in Town Center, offering laid back California-inspired dishes. As you can see, there are a handful of new eateries making their way to Disney Springs in 2018 (barring the usual delays we’ve become accustomed to), so stay hungry.

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Toy Story Land Opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios 

Perhaps most exciting for 2018 is the opening of Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That’s right, completely new rides will open at Hollywood Studios for the first time since 2008! This new land will have guests shrink down to the size of a toy where they will then enter the world of Andy’s backyard. New attractions, a merchandise store, and a new counter service restaurant make up this land, and guests will be able to experience the whole thing this summer.

 

As you can see, 2018 has a lot to offer.

What new offerings coming to Disney Parks in 2018 have you most excited? Let us know in the comments, and from all of us at WDWNT, have a Happy New Year!

Figment, Dreamfinder & More Celebrate Love at the Pin Celebration Coming to Epcot

Th annual Pin Celebration will return in 2017 from August 25-26th. This years’ theme is ‘Love is an Adventure’.

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There are some very unique and specially designed pins for this year, including ones themed to the Dreamfinder with Figment and Jessica Rabbit with Roger Rabbit.

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Featured below are some pins that feature some timeless classic Disney Characters. We also have some pins that might make you cry; the story of Carl and Ellie from Up.

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The pins below are part of a mystery pin collection which there are a total of 16 pins in this set, and each box contains two randomly selected pins. In addition to the eight pins shown below, the set will also contain eight limited edition chaser pins each with an edition size of 250.

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Next up we have the ‘Love is Vain’ set which features six 3D sculpted pins inspired by Disney Villains.

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This Pin Celebration event is a separate ticketed event inside of Epcot. You can only purchase these pins at the event, nowhere else.

In addition to perusing through the pins created for this event, guests will participate in trading activities, meet Disney artists and merchandisers, and have opportunities to take photos with world famous Disney characters.

For more details on how to register for this event, please visit DisneyParksMerchandise.com.

Please note space is limited.

 

 

REVIEW: Mobile Ordering Debuts at Walt Disney World Counter Service Restaurants, Does It Work?

A few weeks ago, we told you that Mobile Ordering through the MyDisneyExperience app was coming to select Walt Disney World Resort counter service eateries. Well, yesterday, during a special preview of Pandora: The World of AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we got to try out the service at the Satuli Canteen.

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The latest update of the app is necessary to use mobile ordering, so make sure you download it.

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Upon opening the updated app, it informs guests of the new service, even though it is in very limited testing.

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Guests registered for a preview of Pandora: The World of AVATAR can utilize the service at Satuli Canteen, who plans to launch with the service when they open on May 27th.

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All you have to do is go to the restaurant of your choice in the app (who offers the service, of course), and select the “Order Food” option.

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As we told you before, the Dining Plan can not be used for this service, only credit cards.

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Ordering is very simple as you just select an entree…

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Once the entree is selected, you can then customize it as you wish.

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You can pretty much remove any of the ingredients, which I thought was impressive.

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When I selected a fountain beverage, the app even tried to up-sell me a Navi Flute Cup. Don’t be ridiculous app, I already have it!

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You can take a look at what’s in your “cart” or “bag” at any time to remove or change the quantity of an item. Once it is to your liking (and you skip over the cup up-sell again), you can hit “Review Order Summary”.

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The “Order Summary” screen gives you one final chance to look at the order, see the price, and purchase it. It will automatically use the credit card attached to your MyDisneyExperience account unless you change it at the bottom of this page. Then you can just hit purchase when ready.

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Once you have pre-paid using your credit card on file, you get a confirmation message. At this point, you can go do whatever and return when you are ready to eat later that day. I, in fact, placed this order three hours before returning to Satuli Canteen. When I even got anywhere near the restaurant, a notification would pop up and ask if I was ready to dine there, a nice feature to have.

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Upon reopening the app, you can find your pre-order in a separate box in “My Plans”, awaiting you to click the “I’m Here, Prepare My Order” button.

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You will need to present your order number, so have this ready when you do retrieve your food.

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Once you hit the button, then your food will be prepared. You don’t have to do anything until it tells you that your order is ready.


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I kept the app open through the entire process, so I saw the 3rd light turn green and tell me that my order was ready to be picked up. If you close the app, you can still get a notification to go to the counter, as you can see below.

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As I said above, when the food is ready, the 3rd dot will turn green and it will tell you to head on over.

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This is when you visit the counter labeled for Mobile Order Pick-Up, and if all goes according to plan, you will have your food and drink within seconds of your arrival. Everything worked for us and it was super convenient. The other person I was visiting with used the regular ordering process and I had my meal in hand much faster than he did, so should this system continue to work in this fashion, I think Disney has a real winner on its hands.

Mobile ordering will be also be available for the following counter service locations at the four Walt Disney World theme parks and Disney Springs at some point in the future:

  • ABC Commissary
  • Backlot Express
  • Columbia Harbor House
  • Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
  • D-Luxe Burger
  • Electric Umbrella
  • Flame Tree Barbecue
  • Liberty Inn
  • Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
  • Pinocchio Village Haus
  • Pizzafari
  • Restaurantosaurus
  • Satu’li Canteen
  • Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant
  • Tortuga Tavern

An exact start date for the service at all of these restaurants is still unknown, but we do know that at the very least Satuli Canteen will be using mobile ordering starting in May. More restaurants may be added in the future should the program prove successful.

PHOTOS: First Look at New Dishes from the 2017 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

Only 3 months remain until the 2017 Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. This year’s festival will have 35 unique different food kiosks and vendors in honor of Epcot’s 35th anniversary on October 1st. Also this year, the event will run a total of 75 day, which is the longest it has ever been!

Here are some pics of a few of the bites that will be there to to satisy your taste buds…

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Pictured above is the charcuterie in a cone from the Spain Marketplace, which is perfect for strolling and tasting.

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There’s also the spicy Korma Chicken with cucumber-tomato salad, almonds, cashews and warm naan bread from the India Marketplace.

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These 2 items are just a sample of the offerings you can expect to find at this year’s festival and includes much, much more such as crispy chicken with griddled cornbread and red-eye gravy, and the pistachio cardamom cake with a dollop of chocolate coconut mousse pictured above.

The 22nd Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival starts Aug. 31st and will be running until November 13th, 2017.

PHOTO: First Look at New Colored Parking Trams Arriving at Walt Disney World Theme Parks

Quite a few months ago, Walt Disney World finally announced that they had purchased new parking trams to transport guests in their theme park parking lots. We of course had spotted the trams long before this, just sitting around in the Transportation and Ticket Center parking lot long before this, but where awaiting the debut of the much-needed replacement vehicles. Now, Walt Disney World is finally getting around to painting these new trams with the color-coding system (somewhat similar to the monorail) that they promised…

Photo courtesy of bri_guy81 on Instagram

Photo courtesy of bri_guy81 on Instagram

The tram was spotted today at the TTC in all of its vintage stylings. While the color seems like a bit much, it is nice to see the older logos and typefaces in use.

There is still no word on when these will debut and what the other colors will be, but we will let you know as we (and fellow readers, like this one) spot more of them around.

Disney is Surveying Epcot Guests About Figment, May Impact Character’s Future in Park Overhaul

General park surveys at Walt Disney World aren’t uncommon, in fact, you’ll see Disney research cast members out and about on the daily recruiting guests to take these upon their return home. Interestingly enough, the general surveys about Epcot that guests are receiving now include a questionnaire about the park’s mascot, Figment.

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Images courtesy of @MainStreetNorth on twitter

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Images courtesy of @MainStreetNorth on twitter

Figment is a character who dates back to the earliest days of the park and the original Journey Into Imagination attraction, which operated from 1983 until 1998. When the replacement attraction opened in 1999 with little to no Figment (and was also the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life), thousands of guests complained that he was gone (and that the ride was a piece of garbage). The requests were so numerous that Disney was forced to close the attraction only 2 years later and overhaul it to add Figment back in 2002. Sadly, this wasn’t a vast improvement, and now Journey Into Imagination with Figment is just months away from somehow outliving the 15.5 year run of the original attraction, which was often considered the by fans to be the greatest theme park ride ever built.

Of course, Bob Chapek officially announced that Disney Imagineers are hard at work at a plan to conduct a massive overhaul of the park, one that would likely include a replacement or update of the current Imagination pavilion, home to Figment. Sadly, it seems as though Figment could find himself without an attraction again if he doesn’t prove that he is still relevant to most park guests. Rumors have persisted that an IP-based attraction will replace the Imagination pavilion, but we won’t know for sure until Disney makes some sort of announcement, possibly at the D23 Expo in July.

What do you think? Does Figment need to have a ride at Epcot, or can he just be the park’s mascot?

D23 Finally Announces Epcot 35th Anniversary Event for October 1st, 2017

D23 has finally announced details for their event celebrating Epcot’s 35th anniversary, which will take place on October 1st, 2017…

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OVERVIEW
D23’s Fanniversary kicks off a month-long celebration with a one-of-a-kind event on the 35th anniversary of the fan-favorite theme park. The event will include a series of presentations celebrating the magic of Epcot over the past 35 years.

DETAILS
Check-in location and timing details to come. Lunch will be provided to all attendees during the event.

Available to Gold and Gold Family MembersYou will be required to show a photo ID. Members will be required to show their D23 Membership Card.

Join The Official Disney Fan Club as we celebrate the 35th anniversary of Epcot during D23’s annual Fanniversary celebration throughout the month of October! Inspired by Walt Disney’s vision for an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, EPCOT Center opened on October 1, 1982, as the second theme park at Walt Disney World Resort.

Gold and Gold Family Members have the chance to kick off Fanniversary with a visit to Epcot on October 1 for a D23-exclusive celebration event!

The event will take place at the World Showplace Events Pavilion and includes three presentations that celebrate the magic of this fan-favorite theme park over the past 35 years.  The presentations will include rare content and stories from Disney luminaries who played an influential role in the development of Epcot!

All attendees will also have the chance to enjoy a lunchtime look back at Epcot over the years while snacking on a boxed lunch at your table.  No event would be complete without a one-of-a-kind gift created exclusively for this celebration.

Learn more about our D23 progressive dinner, celebrating 35 years—which takes place later that evening—here! This separate ticketed event has very limited seating.

NOTE

  • D23 Gold and Gold Family Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest.
  • Due to the nature of this experience, all attendees must be at least 12 years of age or older to partake in this D23 event.
  • This event does not include admission to Epcot. Guests will need to have or purchase admission to Epcot to attend. If planning to use a Walt Disney World Annual Passport to attend, each guest should check blockout dates to verify that the pass is valid for admission on Sunday, October 1, 2017.
  • Admission includes a prix fixe boxed lunch. Food allergy and restrictions must be communicated to our Guest Services team prior to the event.
  • There is a limited number of tickets available. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership cards may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed Members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event.
  • All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancellations or refunds, and tickets are not transferable.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: Filming, photography, and other recording will take place at Walt Disney World Resort during the event you will be attending. By entering the premises, you irrevocably consent to and authorize The Walt Disney Company, its affiliates, successors, and assigns (collectively “Producer”), to photograph you, make sound recordings of you, and use such photographs and recordings throughout the world, for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity, including, but not limited to, television broadcasts and home entertainment products, including, but not limited to, home video and DVD. All such photographs and sound recordings will be the sole property of Producer.

Tickets will cost $135 per person, plus a $5 per person processing fee. Tickets on sale Tuesday, May 2 at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) at D23.com.

D23 Offering Progressive Dinner in Epcot Corporate Lounges with Behind-The-Scenes Attraction Experience for 35th Anniversary

In addition  to the Anniversary event, D23 will offer another Epcot 35th anniversary add-on in the evening on October 1st, 2017…

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OVERVIEW
On the evening of the 35th anniversary of Epcot, a group of D23 Gold and Gold Family Members have the chance to attend an intimate behind-the-scenes, progressive dinner taking place at a variety of private venues throughout Epcot. The multi-course meal will highlight fan-favorite foods found throughout Future World and World Showcase. In addition, honorary Disney luminaries and members of the D23 family will join the group along the way. At the conclusion of the dinner, guests will enjoy a special, behind-the-scenes experience of an iconic Epcot attraction.

DETAILS
The event begins at 6 p.m. Check-in will begin at 5:45 p.m. Please do not arrive before 5:45 p.m. The event will last approximately 4 ½ hours.

Available to Gold and Gold Family Members
You will be required to show a photo ID. Members will be required to show their D23 Membership Card.

Join The Official Disney Fan Club as we celebrate the 35th anniversary of Epcot during D23’s annual Fanniversary celebration throughout the month of October! Inspired by Walt Disney’s vision for an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, EPCOT Center opened on October 1, 1982, as the second theme park at Walt Disney World Resort.

The Fanniversary kick-off celebration continues on the evening of the 35th anniversary of Epcot with a behind-the-scenes, progressive dinner in a variety of private venues in the theme park. Guests will have the chance to enjoy four courses throughout the evening, the last of which will be a dessert reception along the World Showcase with VIP viewing of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth!

Attendees will progress through dinner within private areas of Epcot including the General Motors Lounge above Test Track and The Living Seas Salon!

Throughout the progressive meal, guests will have the opportunity to spend time with fellow Disney fans, as well as honorary Disney luminaries and special guests.

Before the evening concludes, attendees will enjoy an exclusive, behind-the-scenes experience of an iconic Epcot attraction.

This one-of-a-kind experience wouldn’t be complete without a custom gift, created exclusively for you.

Be sure to join us earlier in the day for a separate Fanniversary event celebrating 35 years of Epcot with exclusive presentations and more! Learn more about this separate ticketed event here.

NOTE

  • D23 Gold and Gold Family Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest.
  • Due to the nature of this experience, all attendees must be at least 21 years of age or older to partake in this D23 event.
  • This event does not include admission to Epcot. Guests will need to have or purchase admission to Epcot to attend. If planning to use a Walt Disney World Annual Passport to attend, each guest should check blockout dates to verify that the pass is valid for admission on Sunday, October 1, 2017.
  • Admission includes a prix fixe menu throughout the progressive dinner. Food allergy and restrictions must be communicated to our Guest Services team prior to the event.
  • There is a limited number of tickets available. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed Members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event.
  • All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancellations or refunds, and tickets are not transferable.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: Filming, photography, and other recording will take place at Walt Disney World Resort during the event you will be attending. By entering the premises, you irrevocably consent to and authorize The Walt Disney Company, its affiliates, successors, and assigns (collectively “Producer”), to photograph you, make sound recordings of you, and use such photographs and recordings throughout the world, for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity, including, but not limited to, television broadcasts and home entertainment products, including, but not limited to, home video and DVD. All such photographs and sound recordings will be the sole property of Producer.

Tickets are $250 per person, plus a $5 per person processing fee. Tickets on sale Wednesday, May 3, at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) at D23.com.