Disney4me

Up for a little Disney magic on Christmas Day? Be sure to tune-in to “The Disney Parks’ Magical Christmas Celebration” special, which will air December 25 at 10 a.m.-noon EST on ABC. Hosts Julianne and Derek Hough take viewers on a magical ride through our parks, combining the beloved Christmas day parade with musical performances, surprise celebrity appearances, heart-warming family stories and more. Musical performances on this year’s Christmas Day special include Alessia Cara, Sofia Carson, Kelly Clarkson, Gavin DeGraw, Jordan Fisher, OneRepublic, Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks and more. Several celebrity performers were kind enough to share the details of what they’ll be wearing in this year’s Christmas Celebration, including Julianne Hough, OneRepublic, and more. Check out the details above! View the full article

The Main Street Electrical Parade is returning to Disneyland Park — after a 20-year hiatus — for a limited run starting January 20, 2017, and running through June 18, 2017! Two Main Street Electrical Parade Dining Packages are available that include preferred viewing for the parade. First, the Blue Bayou Restaurant will offer a three-course prix fixe meal (appetizer, entree, and dessert) that includes admission to a preferred viewing area for a designated performance of the parade that evening. Reservations for dates starting January 20th may be booked up to 60 days in advance by visiting Disneyland.com or calling (714) 781-3463. Blue Bayou Second, the Main Street Electrical Parade On-the-Go Package at Aladdin’s Oasis includes a Grab & Go meal featuring the guest’s choice of three entrees and a voucher for a preferred viewing area for a designated performance of the parade that evening. Meal pick-up time may be reserved on Disneyland.com or by calling (714) 781-3463 for dates starting January 20th for as early as 12:00 Noon up to 60 days in advance. Similar to the current Paint the Night Parade Dining Packages for these locations, prepayment is not required. However, there is a Credit Card Guarantee required, which means that $10 per guest will be charged for no-shows (guests who have not cancelled their Dining Reservation 24 hours in advance). Are you excited for the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade to Disneyland? Please let us know with a comment! Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to check out our DFB Disney World Dining Guide e-Books! Find great deals at DFBStore.com! Also, come on over and: Subscribe to our Newsletter Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook Fan Related posts: News: Main Street Electrical Parade Lunch Package Coming to Tony’s Town Square at Magic Kingdom News: Festival of Fantasy Parade Dining Package Coming to Tony’s Town Square in Magic Kingdom World of Color Dining Packages Announced View the full article

The final recipe in our Bring Home the Magic: Holiday Edition series takes us to the Canada Pavilion at Epcot. Available from the Canada Popcorn Cart during Holidays Around the World, this Pecan Maple Bark has been a guest favorite year after year. The recipe is fairly easy, but the end result is an impressive (and addicting) holiday sweet. View the full article

This week’s Disney Doodle focuses on pals Bambi and Thumper from the 1942 film “Bambi.” According to artist Ashley Taylor, if these forest friends could spend time in a Disney theme park, they’d most enjoy the snowfall on Main Street, U.S.A. during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties. “I love Bambi and the iconic ice skating scene in the movie,” she said. “I thought it would be fun to draw Bambi and Thumper enjoying the snowfall at the Magic Kingdom!” View the full article

This time of year is best spent with those we love, as ESPN Major League Baseball Analyst Jessica Mendoza discovered on her recent visit with family during Holidays at the Disneyland Resort. As the first female ESPN MLB game analyst, this Olympic Gold Medalist has a busy schedule – that’s why spending time with her family at the Happiest Place on Earth was so special to her. Hear more from Jessica herself in the video below! View the full article

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Meet-Up | Disney Springs View the full article

We continue to highlight children’s holiday “Wishes for Wildlife” in this new video. Each week during the holiday season, we will share another video of a child’s “Wish for Wildlife” on the Disney Parks Blog. We will also show you some of the more than 100 pieces of art they created to illustrate their wishes. We will post the children’s art on the Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Facebook page – so be sure to check it often! View the full article

The year 2017 is fast approaching and we’re ready to ring the new year in right. Today we’re happy to share that this New Year’s Eve, our #DisneyParksLIVE team will bring you a live stream of “Fantasy in the Sky” fireworks live from Magic Kingdom Park on 12/31 at 11:45 p.m. The live stream will begin at 11:45 p.m. EST in a fresh blog post that will appear at the top of the blog. You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #DisneyParksLIVE. View the full article

At Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, supporting local communities is in our DNA, especially during the holidays. The tradition dates back to Walt Disney himself, who in 1948 helped create the now famous Toys for Tots train logo still in use today. And as our parks have grown throughout the years, so too has the continued dedication of our cast members! In 2016, Disney VoluntEARS donated more than 214,000 hours of community service to benefit nonprofit organizations and enrich the lives of children and families around the world. From collecting toy donations to making magic for children in hospitals and decorating hundreds of cookies, here’s a look at how cast members shared the joy this holiday season. The Disneyland Resort brought the spirit of the season to Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Accompanying Disney characters in their holiday finest, Disney VoluntEARS helped children decorate gingerbread cookies to embellish a giant gingerbread castle made by the Disneyland Resort. Walt Disney World Resort VoluntEARS collected more than 25,000 gifts for children in Central Florida as part of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign. A group of VoluntEARS even set off to deliver hundreds of the gifts aboard a Disney’s Magical Express Bus in celebration of the momentous occasion. In Shanghai, Disney VoluntEARS helped decorate the corridors of local children’s hospitals to create merry and bright memories for children and their families. They also decorated a dazzling Christmas tree to be featured in the Pudong Special Needs School, where more than 100 students enjoyed a special photo moment with Santa. At Tokyo Disneyland, VoluntEARS brought the joy of the holidays to children at the Aiji-no-ie Orphanage. Patients and their families at Siu Lam Hospital in Hong Kong were also surprised with a special visit from Mickey Mouse and Hong Kong Disneyland VoluntEARS bearing gifts. Disneyland Paris VoluntEARS hosted a traditional Christmas brunch for more than 250 children from local community centers including holiday treats, face painting, balloon sculptures and a festive concert. In Hawaii, Disney characters joined VoluntEARS from Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa, spreading holiday cheer to children and families at two local hospitals, posing for snapshots and sharing countless unforgettable moments. Disney Cruise Line crew members spent time ashore with children in port communities across the Bahamas and the Caribbean, with extra help from Mickey and Minnie, and Disney Vacation Club cast members gave hundreds of children a few extra merry and bright memories, in addition to donating more than 150 handmade chew toys for furry friends at a local animal shelter. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts VoluntEARS are committed to bringing positive change around the globe, donating hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours each year to the communities where they work, live and play. Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog to see what our Disney VoluntEARS do next in 2017. View the full article

This year, the wondrous eight-day celebration of Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 24, 2016, and ends at sundown on January 1, 2017. Here is a quick look at gift items from Disney Parks that are perfect for welcoming the Festival of Lights. The Disney Parks merchandise team has released two new Hanukkah-inspired pins for 2016. Guests will find an open edition pin (seen in the first image), and a limited edition pin containing a spinning dreidel. The latter pin has an edition size of 2,500. Speaking of dreidels, we also carry a set of toy dreidels created especially for Disney Parks. Other items include a decorative banner with bells, a mug, a wine goblet, and a small serving plate. Look for these items in select merchandise locations at Disney Parks. You may also order select items using the free Shop Disney Parks app. I wish you a Happy Hanukkah filled with wonder and light! View the full article

Forget partridges – the residents of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room are much more entertaining! They’ve appeared in today’s Holiday Countdown graphic, by Disney Artist Simone Miranda and team, to happily remind us that there are only four days left until Christmas. Click below to see previous “Countdown” posts. Holiday Countdown: Five Green Alien Friends Holiday Countdown: Six Friends A Singing Holiday Countdown: Seven Dwarfs A Mining Holiday Countdown: Eight Fairies Flying Holiday Countdown: Nine Villains Plotting Holiday Countdown: Ten Disney Dogs-A-Barking Holiday Countdown: Eleven Epcot Countries Holiday Countdown: Twelve Monorail Trains View the full article

Disney has provided a glimpse at some of the culinary items coming to the Epcot International Festival of the Arts. ©Disney And at first glance, ART certainly seems like the operative word! (Oh, and FYI, Disney didn’t mention what any of these things actually were, so your guess is as good as ours. Though this first picture definitely looks like Disney is adding pop tarts to its culinary line-up ??!?!?!?!??!?!) ©Disney (Ummmm…are those pop tarts?! Those are totally pop tarts, right??) This new Festival will make its debut on January 13th and will run on Fridays through Mondays for six weekends (through February 20th). The Festival will focus on three aspects of art: Visual, Performing, and Culinary. ©Disney The Culinary Arts will be represented by the food items and beverages that will be served at Food Studios (aka Booths) located along the World Showcase promenade. ©Disney Disney shares that, “While the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival strives for seasonal flavors, and the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is all about global cuisine, the Epcot International Festival of the Arts is all about works of art on a plate.” In fact, as part of the experience, guests will be able to watch chefs plating some of the dishes. ©Disney ©Disney ©Disney One thing it looks like the Festival of the Arts will share with its counterpart Festivals is that it will offer savory dishes… ©Disney ©Disney ©Disney ©Disney ©Disney … as well as plenty of sweet treats. ©Disney ©Disney ©Disney And, of course, a few beverages to complement the whole thing! ©Disney ©Disney The Visual Arts will be represented by art pieces ranging from the work of Mary Blair and Herb Ryman to current Disney artists such as Costa Alavezos and Joe Kaminski, and the Performing Arts will be celebrated with Broadway talent performing at the America Gardens Theatre. So get ready to please your palate (and your palette! ), when the first ever Epcot International Festival of the Arts begins on January 13th! Will you be attending the Festival of the Arts? Please let us know with a comment! Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to check out our DFB Disney World Dining Guide e-Books! Find great deals at DFBStore.com! Also, come on over and: Subscribe to our Newsletter Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook Fan Related posts: News: Epcot Festival of the Arts (with food, of course!) Coming in January and February 2017 2010 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Dates 2009 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Pins Posted View the full article

New Fun for Kids, Adults & Families on the Disney Wonder View the full article

There are some new monkeys running around Disney's Animal Kingdom. The park at Walt Disney World is now home to four lion-tailed macaques, a species that's never called Animal Kingdom home. The one male and three females reside in the park's Maharajah Jungle Trek. They are an old-world monkey that... View the full article

2016 is almost over and in just a few weeks thousands of guests will kick off the New Year by participating in the 2017 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna, January 4-8. From Diaper Dashes for the little ones to the full 26.2-mile marathon for adventurous runners, a runDisney race is the perfect way to get a running start on those New Year’s resolutions with the entire familia! Adrenaline seekers looking for an extra challenge can take part in four days of fun for a total of 48.6 miles in the Dopey Challenge, which includes running all four races (5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon) during the upcoming Walt Disney World Marathon. If you are running in an upcoming runDisney race and/or know someone who is running that has a unique and inspirational story to share, we want to hear from you. Please submit your story for consideration at WDPR.DisneySportsStories@Disney.com. Buena suerte to all that are training! And see you at the finish line! View the full article

2016 has been an incredible year for runDisney! A big thank you to all of those runners who participated in our runDisney events this year. We have loved seeing your energy, excitement, strength and in many cases AMAZING race day outfits. Watching you cross the finish line has been the biggest highlight of the year! From launching our first international race in Paris to expanding Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, what a year it has been. Here’s a deeper look into some of the other reasons that made runDisney great this past year from each event: 1) Walt Disney World Marathon presented by Cigna: Fredison Coasta, the Brazillian runner who trains at Walt Disney World Resort won his third straight Walt Disney World Marathon and his fifth in the last six years. Crossing the finish line in 2:33:24 he exclaimed, “…I’m the happiest man on earth.” 2) Star Wars Half Marathon – The Light Side: StarWars.com contributor Cole Horton started running BECAUSE of the runDisney Star Wars race series. He decided to run all three races in one weekend to share his journey! 3) Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals: Running Princesses from the weekend embodied the spirit of Disney’s new “Dream Big, Princess” campaign, which strives to inspire girls and kids around the world to realize their full potential and dream big. From watching inspiring video to special backdrops, runners were inspired during “The Little Mermaid” themed event weekend! 4) Star Wars Half Marathon – The Dark Side: We launched the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon – The Dark Side consisting of kids races, a 5K, 10K and half marathon distance. In addition, participants who ran the Star Wars Half Marathon – The Light Side and Star Wars Half Marathon – The Dark Side received the inaugural runDisney Kessel Run Challenge medal! 5) Tinker Bell Half Marathon presented by PANDORA Jewelry: Tinker Bell Half Marathon celebrated its five-year anniversary at the Disneyland Resort! The half marathon medal celebrated the anniversary on our traditional pixie-dusted Tink medallion! 6) runDisney Virtual Running Shorts Series: The all-new runDisney Virtual Running Shorts Series launched this summer and included three 5Ks that you could complete from whatever course you chose – through your neighborhood, on the treadmill, etc. Participants received a uniquely designed finisher medal for each 5K completed plus a challenge medal for finishing all three virtual 5Ks. More to come in 2017! 7) Disneyland Paris Half Marathon presented by Cigna: Did we love the Inaugural Disneyland Paris – Val d’Europe – Half Marathon Weekend? Oui! The event kicked off this past September at Disneyland Paris. 50 nationalities were represented among runners. The race weekend included Kids Races, a 5K and a Half Marathon. 8) Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend: Disney duos were the theme of the 2016 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend and runners came out in full force, donning their favorite duo- and group-inspired looks! 9) Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend presented by MISFIT: Our Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend menu was expanded! We added the inaugural Disney Wine & Dine 10K and a challenge for runners who participated in the 10K and a half marathon – Lumiere’s Two Course Challenge! 10) Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend: A reimagined half marathon course and new super heroes added to the weekend such as Spider Man and Doctor Strange were the highlights of this amazing event! Our events are special because of our runners and we can’t thank you enough. Those are just a few of the highlights from 2016! Which races will you conquer in 2017? Check out our event schedule with on sale dates as well as event times here: Let us know which event you’ll be participating in using the hashtag #runDisney. Learn more about runDisney and make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. View the full article

Gorillas are one of our closest cousins in the animal world. They have 32 teeth, opposable thumbs and live in close-knit family groups with complex social relationships. They are impressively intelligent, and they depend greatly on social learning from their mothers. All four gorilla subspecies are critically endangered. They are threatened by poaching, habitat loss and disease. Mining for minerals like coltan used in electronics has intensified these threats. Illegal wildlife trade also poses grave dangers for gorillas in the wild. The Disney Conservation Fund and Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment teams are supporting the Jane Goodall Institute, the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center, and more than a dozen local organizations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to “Reverse the Decline” of great apes and their habitat, including Grauer’s gorillas, the largest and arguably most-threatened gorilla. They are found exclusively in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are considered one of the world’s 25 most-endangered primates, given that their population has declined by almost 80 percent in only 20 years. The GRACE Center, the only sanctuary for Grauer’s gorillas, cares for young gorillas rescued after their families were poached. Amani, whose name means “peace” in Swahili, is one of these orphans. She was rescued in 2009 and was intercepted while being illegally sold as a pet. She was found dehydrated at the bottom of a plastic bag with a bullet in her leg. She was treated, and although she will always have lingering effects from her wound, she will be able to live her life in the gorilla group at GRACE. Today, Amani loves to play with the other gorilla orphans, make peace after conflicts between group members and climb trees inside GRACE’s large forested habitat. GRACE’s ultimate goal is to return rehabilitated gorillas back into the wild to help the struggling wild population. Here at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you can see two troops, or groups, of western lowland gorillas, a bachelor troop and a family troop. Wilderness Explorers can even earn a gorilla observation badge for watching the gorillas’ behavior! While visiting Gorilla Falls, you may have a chance to meet some of the cast members who have visited GRACE or hear the stories of how Disney is helping protect gorillas. Everyone can help “Reverse the Decline” of great apes by taking action: You can reduce the need for coltan by recycling old electronics like cellphones, laptops, tablets, and video game systems. You can donate them to GRACE or the Jane Goodall Institute to help raise money for great apes in need of protection. Purchase wood and paper products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. (Look for the FSC logo.) Take notice of where your products come from and purchase forest-friendly products like shade-grown coffee and items made from sustainable bamboo. Visit DisneyAnimals.com to learn more about gorillas and share the information you learn with friends and family! To learn more about GRACE or the Jane Goodall Institute, visit www.gracegorillas.org or www.janegoodall.org View the full article

In need of a little Disney Parks magic to keep your little ones busy this week? Check out our latest DIY tutorial on how you can make a mini Mickey Holiday Wreath for your home. First, download a Mickey-shaped template here. You’ll also need: 1 piece of cardboard; scissors; yarn (your choice of colors); 1 pencil; and a hot glue gun and glue sticks. Ribbon, a frame hook and other embellishments are optional. Then follow our step-by-step instructions here. Thanks to Simone Miranda and team for the cool tutorial! View the full article

As guests arrive at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, they are welcomed into the expansive Maka‘ala lobby. Maka‘ala, which translates to “wide awake” or “watchful,” encourages guests to remain alert and watchful as they explore the resort. Beyond the colorful murals and soaring architecture are layers of stories waiting to be discovered. This installment of “Meet Aulani’s ‘Ohana” features Cultural Greeter Kaleimakamae. She is one of six cultural greeters at the resort who share their passion for Hawaiian culture with guests and our fellow Disney ‘ohana. Based in the Maka‘ala lobby, the setting is a natural place for our cultural greeters to tell the many stories behind the lobby’s artwork, artifacts, design and architecture. Meet Kaleimakamae in the video below! Be sure to say “aloha” to one of our cultural greeters during your next visit to Aulani Resort! View the full article

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is expected to rule the box office during the long Christmas weekend, despite a glut of new films jostling for moviegoers’ dollars. The second weekend for the Lucasfilm prequel is expected to easily top newcomers, including the new animated musical “Sing,” the romance-in-space... View the full article

360 Video: A Christmas Fantasy Parade | Disneyland Resort View the full article

With so many unforgettable holiday experiences happening at all four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks this week and throughout the season, we’re quizzing you to see how much you can recall about these special holiday favorites. .quiz-container#wp-quiz-182451{ background-color:#f0f8fb; color:#565656; border-color:#dce4e7; } .quiz-container#wp-quiz-182451 .quiz-section h1{ color:#8bb428; } .quiz-container#wp-quiz-182451 .quiz-title{ color:#10628b; } .quiz-container#wp-quiz-182451 .quiz-header-image{ text-align:right; } .quiz-container#wp-quiz-182451 .quiz-section{ border-color:#ffffff; } .quiz-container#wp-quiz-182451 .quiz-details, .quiz-container#wp-quiz-182451 .quiz-results, .quiz-container#wp-quiz-182451 .quiz-embed{ border-color:#dce4e7; } .quiz-container#wp-quiz-182451 .quiz-result{ background-color:#dce4e7; } QUIZ: Holidays Around Walt Disney World Resort All of these holiday songs play during Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios except for: Jingle Bell Rock Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree Jingle Bells We Need a Little Christmas Who is narrating the Candlelight Processional at Epcot tonight? Ming-Na Wen, actor and voice of Mulan Joe Morton, actor who has starred in ABC Scandal Jodi Benson, actor and voice of Ariel Cal Ripken Jr Baseball's Hall of Famer How many reindeer appear in Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at Magic Kingdom Park? 4 6 8 10 Which Disney Characters are dressed in their holiday best and greeting guests at Adventurers Outpost at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Donald Duck and Daisy Duck Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Baloo and King Louie Dug and Russell Embed Quiz on Your Website Embed Code <div class="wp-quiz" data-quiz-id="182451" data-site-url="https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-quizzes/js/embed.js"></script>Copy and paste above embed code where you would like the quiz to appear on your website. View the full article

By definition, a Super Hero is a fictional character with superhuman powers. Recently a seven-year-old girl from San Gabriel, Calif., defied that definition during runDisney’s Avengers Half Marathon Weekend at Disneyland Resort. Far from fictional, Carissa Leung is a beautiful young girl full of energy, excitement and dreams. Joining her mom, Elene Wong, sister, Katelyn, and brother, Ryan, she participated in the Captain America 5K, a 3.1-mile journey through Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks. What unfolded during the race is inspirational, motivational and unforgettable. Carissa proves super heroes are not just fictional. They come in all shapes, sizes and ages. They motivate and inspire us everyday, we just need to take time to see it. I hope you will take time now to experience Carissa’s 3.1-mile superhuman journey, witness the amazing things that happened along the way and learn from her super powers. Congratulations Carissa – you are a super hero! For more information on Avengers Half Marathon Weekend and other runDisney event weekends at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, visit www.runDisney.com. View the full article

Walt Disney World's annual passholders are getting a holiday treat at the theme park gates. They'll be able to bypass long lines at the entrances by using gateways that are designated for annual passholders only. The benefit begins Wednesday, Dec. 21, and is scheduled to run into sometime in January,... View the full article

Walt Disney World's annual passholders are getting a holiday treat at the theme park gates. They'll be able to bypass long lines at the entrances by using gateways that are designated for annual passholders only. The benefit begins Wednesday, Dec. 21, and is scheduled to run through the end of... View the full article