Hong Kong Disneyland Announces Events and Attractions for 2018

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

Following the announcement last month that Hong Kong Disneyland was kicking off a multi-year expansion designed to bring new attractions and experiences to guests, the resort has released a schedule of openings and seasonal events for 2018, including first-of-its-kind character experiences not currently available at other Disney parks.

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Royal Princess Garden: Even before the year is out, the new Royal Princess Garden is scheduled to open in Hong Kong Disneyland in December 2017. This exquisitely-themed garden area will serve as a meet-and-greet area for Disney Princesses, and will also house Hong Kong’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Families can also purchase an Enchanted Storybook album that captures all of their Disney Princess moments.

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Chinese New Year Event: The year 2018 is the Year of the Dog according to the Chinese calendar. To celebrate, Hong Kong Disneyland will feature Pluto during their Chinese New Year celebrations from January to March 2018. In addition, Main Street, USA, will be decorated in lucky red and gold decorations, Mickey and his pals will be dressed in festive costumes, and the park and resorts will feature festive Chinese New Year-themed meals, snacks and merchandise.

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Disney Friends Springtime Carnival: From March through May, guests can enjoy whimsical character encounters during the colorful Disney Friends Springtime Carnival. In addition to a wide variety of character encounters throughout the park, the event features festive springtime sculpts for photo opportunities as well as an egg hunt with over 100 character-themed eggs hidden throughout the park.

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“Moana: A Homecoming Celebration”: In May, the new Moana stage show will open in Hong Kong Disneyland in an entirely new outdoor venue in Adventureland. The 18-minute live show will recount Moana’s adventures after the storyline of the film, once Moana has restored the heart of Te Fiti and returned to her home village of Motunui. The new show features music, dancing and puppetry, and marks the first attraction to be opened as part of the resort’s multi-year expansion.

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Summer Event: Hong Kong Disneyland’s annual summer holiday event will feature new character additions this year from the Pixar catalog. From June through August, guests can meet Mr. Incredible, Mrs. Incredible and Frozone from the Oscar-winning The Incredibles, to coincide with the Hong Kong release of The Incredibles 2 in mid-July.

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Disney Halloween Time: The annual Halloween event is one of Hong Kong Disneyland’s most popular. The 2018 incarnation of the annual festivities will feature even more spooky fun in September and October. In addition to Jack Skellington, the event will feature “Disney Villains that guests have yet to meet,” according to the resort.

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A Disney Christmas: From November through January 1, 2019, guests can visit Hong Kong Disneyland for a special daytime show featuring Mickey and friends, carolers singing Christmas tunes, a special tree-lighting ceremony and much more.

 

VIDEOS: Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2017

WDWNT on August 29, 2017

We made our way to the first Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party of the season to bring you some excellent videos, reviews, and photos.

Mickey’s Boo To You Parade

Hocus Pocus Villian Spelltacular

Moana Meet and Greet at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Stitch’s Great Escape Trick or Treat Trail

VIDEO: A Trip to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2017

WDWNT on August 29, 2017

On Friday night, we made our way over to the first Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party of the season and we have some great footage from the event including Mickey’s Boo To You Halloween Parade, Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular, Moana Meet and Greet, and Stitch’s Great Escape Trick or Treat Trail.

Mickey’s Boo To You Halloween Parade

Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular

Moana Meet and Greet at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Stitch’s Great Escape Trick or Treat Trail

What’s Going On With Disney And Amazon?

WDWNT on March 6, 2017

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Update: Now Amazon says they will be shipping the Doctor Strange Blu-ray within 1 – 2 months.

If you recently tried to pre-order Disney titles on Blu-ray such as Doctor Strange, Moana and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story through Amazon, you were out of luck. Unfortunately, you have to look elsewhere because those titles are not available for purchase on Amazon.

What’s unusual about all of this, is that you can still purchase the movies digitally and on DVD through Amazon, just not on Blu-ray.

It appears that Disney and Amazon are in some kind of stand off. Whatever agreement they had previously has fallen apart. If I had to guess, I would say it is Disney that is trying to get Amazon to crack by not allowing their most recent popular movies available for purchase on their site. But it could also be Amazon wanting a larger piece of the profit and refusing to allow Disney Blu-rays to be sold on their site.

By not allowing consumers to purchase the Doctor Strange Blu-ray through Amazon, it seems to have created a demand at brick and mortar stores but there is not enough supply to meet the demand.

I had a difficult time finding a Doctor Strange Blu-ray on release day. I also spoke to friends around the country that were having the same problem. Since I couldn’t purchase the disk through Amazon, I decided to stop by my local Wal-Mart. When I got there, there was a huge display dedicated to Doctor Strange, but there were no discs in the display. I asked one of the employees if they had any in the back and he said that they were all sold out. They only had DVD’s available. I’ve never seen that happen before. I finally was lucky enough to find one at Target, but they were in short supply.

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I did check Amazon recently and you can now purchase the Doctor Strange Blu-ray, but there is a catch. If you add the item to your cart, you receive a message saying that the item is temporarily out of stock and that you will be notified when they have more information. That may be Amazon’s way of trying to cover things up with their customers, trying to reassure them that there is no problem. You still can not preorder the Moana and the Rogue One Blu-rays.

I’m sure both sides are working to resolve this issue because in the end it not only hurts the consumer but it has to hurt both companies revenue stream.

“Moana” Sing A Long Coming To Theaters On January 27th

WDWNT on January 16, 2017

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A new sing a long version of “Moana” will be released in select theaters for a limited time beginning January 27th.

The epic journey continues for “Moana” fans as Walt Disney Animation Studios introduces an all-new sing-along version of the hit, critically-lauded comedy-adventure “Moana,” coming to theaters nationwide Jan. 27, 2017. Additionally, the original theatrical version of the film will release digitally Feb. 21 and on Blu-ray March 7. 

Fans are invited to warm up those vocal cords and set sail with an all-new sing-along version of “Moana” launching in more than 2,000 theaters nationwide on Jan. 27 and exclusively at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre on Jan. 20.  

“Moana” audiences were swept away by the film’s original songs and score from a dynamic team that includes Tony®-, Emmy®- and Grammy®-winning songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda (Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning “Hamilton,” Tony-winning “In the Heights”), Mark Mancina (“Tarzan,” Broadway’s “The Lion King”) and Opetaia Foa‘i (founder and lead singer of the award-winning world music band Te Vaka). 

The sing-along version of “Moana” includes the full feature film with on-screen lyrics, so audiences can belt out the words to their favorite songs, such as the Golden Globe®-nominated “How Far I’ll Go.” Moviegoers can check local listings for showtimes and theaters; the sing-along run will vary by location. 

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 56th animated feature opened domestically on Nov. 23, 2016, becoming the No. 2 Thanksgiving debut ever with $82 million. The film continues to delight audiences around the globe, earning more than $225 million domestically and $450 million worldwide to date. The film has a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A” CinemaScore. 

“Moana” has received, thus far, nominations for BAFTA, PGA, Golden Globe® and a Critics’ Choice Movie Award for best animated feature. The film’s uplifting soundtrack has dominated the music charts for more than six weeks, peaking at No. 1 on the iTunes Albums chart; it is currently No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart and No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The soundtrack is available wherever music is sold and at streaming services.  

At Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre, the “Moana” sing-along will begin Jan. 20, one week prior to the nationwide opening. Daily showtimes are at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tickets are available at El Capitan Theatre (6838 Hollywood Blvd.), by calling 1-800-DISNEY6 (347-6396) or online at http://www.elcapitantickets.com. 

Audiences can soon enjoy the original theatrical version of the film at home and packed with a variety of bonus extras when “Moana” arrives on Digital HD/3D and Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) on Feb. 21, and on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, Digital SD, DVD and On-Demand on March 7.

VIDEO: Disney Releases The “We Know The Way” Sequence From “Moana”

WDWNT on December 12, 2016

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Disney has released the full “We Know The Way” sequence from Disney’s MOANA featuring the song written and performed by Opetaia Foa’I and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The Moana original motion picture soundtrack, the two-disc deluxe edition and the digital deluxe edition soundtrack are available wherever music is sold and streamed.

Disney’s “MOANA” is in U.S. theaters now! 

Source: Disney Music VEVO

CONFIRMED: Hong Kong Disneyland Transforming Original Castle, Announces Frozen & MARVEL Themed Lands w/ Original Rides

WDWNT on November 29, 2016

New Hong Kong Disneyland Castle

New Hong Kong Disneyland Castle

Some of The Walt Disney Company’s most powerful franchises will come to life in a way guests can only experience at Hong Kong Disneyland

Characters and stories from “Frozen” to await guests in an exciting, completely new themed area, while fans will be in the middle of the action with their favorite Marvel Super Heroes

HONG KONG (Nov. 22, 2016) – Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL) announced a multi-year development plan to take the park to a new level of excitement, leveraging some of the most beloved and successful franchises of The Walt Disney Company. Plans include new themed areas, attractions and entertainment, launching almost every year from 2018 through 2023.

Hong Kong Disneyland Expansion Site Plan

Hong Kong Disneyland Expansion Site Plan

Guests will experience Marvel and “Frozen” like never before as HKDL leverages the best of Disney to bring both these world-renowned franchises to life in their own immersive areas. The centerpiece of the park and the gateway to Fantasyland – the castle – will also be transformed to create spectacular entertainment experiences for guests.

“We are more excited than ever about the future of Hong Kong Disneyland,” said Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We are bringing the best of The Walt Disney Company to this wonderful tourist destination, giving guests from around the world an experience only Disney can deliver and an experience they can only have with us at Hong Kong Disneyland.”

Some highlights of the new experiences that will delight Disney fans and guests from around the world include:

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An epicenter of Marvel Super Heroes that will continue to unfold. From the launch of Iron Man Experience, the Marvel universe continues to grow at HKDL. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters will be reimagined into a brand new experience for guests to fight alongside the icons of the Marvel Universe. Further, another thrilling attraction dedicated to one of the most popular Marvel franchises will be added to expand the epicenter of Marvel Super Heroes as exciting events unfold in phases. These experiences will replace the Buzz Lightyear and Autopia attractions.

MARVEL Shooter Ride to Replace Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland

MARVEL Shooter Ride to Replace Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland

An exciting new “Frozen” themed area where characters and stories from the kingdom of Arendelle will come to life in ways guests have never experienced before at a Disney park. Guests will enjoy two new attractions and be immersed in Arendelle with uniquely themed dining, shopping, and entertainment.

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A completely transformed Castle and Hub area to showcase brand new daytime and nighttime shows and entertainment offerings that will celebrate every prince and princess who ever wished upon a star and dared to follow a dream. An “Adventureland Show Place,” which invites guests to “Moana’s Village Festival” through a series of daytime entertainment offerings anchored around a lively stage show in a new interactive entertainment environment. In addition to experiencing live shows and immersive Disney storytelling, guests can meet Moana, heroine of the new Disney animated film that will be released globally starting November 2016.

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The major development plans extend the excitement and amazing growth at HKDL, as the resort is set to open the eagerly anticipated Iron Man Experience officially on January 11, 2017 and the richly themed Disney Explorers Lodge resort hotel later in the first half of the year.

HKDL has continued to grow since its opening in 2005 and has broadened its appeal to families and young adults as well as diverse markets, including local, mainland China and overseas guests.

The three themed areas launched between 2011 and 2013, Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point, have enhanced the park’s attractions and entertainment offerings and boosted the park’s attractiveness to different market segments. In 2013, Mystic Manor was awarded the prestigious Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement – Attraction, the equivalent of the Oscar in the theme park industry. In the following year, the nighttime parade “Disney Paint the Night” was launched and subsequently honored with a Thea Award.

In celebration of HKDL’s 10th Anniversary in 2015, the new stage show “Mickey and the Wondrous Book” and a new walk-through experience “Fairy Tale Forest” were introduced. This past summer, “Star Wars: Tomorrowland Takeover” presented attractions and offerings themed after another classic Disney franchise.

“The all-new developments will further reinforce HKDL’s position as a world-class tourist destination for everyone, including families and young adults, and help build lifelong memories across generations of families,” said Samuel Lau, executive vice president and managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland.

HKDL’s two shareholders – The Walt Disney Company and the Hong Kong Government – have agreed on the development plans, subject to funding approval by the Company’s Board of Directors and Legislative Council for their respective share of investment.