DISNEY NEWS ROUNDUP: Two New Nighttime Spectaculars to Celebrate the 50th; New Specialty Ice Cream Shop Coming to Disney Springs; First Look at New Contemporary Rooms; Disney Recipe Collection & More
The BIG story of the week involves new shows at three parks for the 50th Anniversary Celebration. We also learned of a new specialty ice cream shop coming to Disney Springs that our friends from out west say is the best ice cream on the planet. In addition, we got a sneak peek at the new rooms at the Contemporary and a special offering every Disney fan who likes to cook (or just eat) is going to want. All this and more in this week’s news roundup.
1 – Two New Nighttime Spectaculars and More to Debut October 1 to Kick Off 50th Anniversary Celebration of Walt Disney World
This week we got some very exciting news about the 50th Anniversary celebration kicking off on October 1, 2021. So many exciting things are coming include two new fireworks shows – one at Magic Kingdom and one at EPCOT! Also, a new daytime show is coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Learn more about what you can expect during this 18-month celebration at the links below.
Click here for what we know so far about the 50th Anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World!
2 – New Artisan Ice Cream Shop Coming to Disney Springs
This week Salt & Straw, an artisan ice cream company, announced plans for a scoop shop at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World next year. Best known for its cult-favorite ice cream, Salt & Straw offers innovative, taste-provoking flavors that connect fans to food narratives and provide ongoing taste adventures. We’re so excited! Learn more at the link below.
Click here for more details on the new ice cream shop, Salt & Straw, coming to Disney Springs.
3 – First Look at Reimagined Rooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney’s Contemporary Resort is under refurbishment, and the rooms are getting a whole new look. This week Disney released photos of the reimagined rooms with “Incredible” theming! Catch more at the link below!
Click here for photos of the reimagined rooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
4 – Sneak Peek at New Disney Books Celebrating Upcoming Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration
Several new Disney books celebrating the upcoming Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary are coming later this year! Click here for all the details from Disney Cast Member Allison Citino:
How excited are you for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary this fall? Personally, I can’t wait for all of the magic and adventure that lies ahead with this momentous celebration! To tide us over until then, we’re excited to exclusively reveal the upcoming publishing program from Disney Editions tied to the historic Anniversary. The magic is practically jumping off the pages of these new books, so take a look!
This expansive, must-have coffee table book paints a robust portrait of the Walt Disney World Resort across 50 magical years, through diverse and vibrant voices. Disney fans will love the mostly unseen Disney theme park concept art and photographs in this beautiful and nostalgic collection. Written by Kevin Kern, Tim O’Day and Steven Vagnini, fans can bring home this treasure trove of Walt Disney World Resort history beginning September 28th, available for pre-order here.
Attention, foodies! Bring home the magic (and food) of Walt Disney World with the newest title in the Delicious Disney lineup! With beautiful photos and behind-the-scenes anecdotes told by authors Marcy Carriker Smothers and Pam Brandon, this cookbook-meets-coffee-table-book enchants with more than sixty recipes ranging from appetizers to desserts, main courses and libations. Disney foodie fans will love this collection of stories and recipes that goes all the way back to opening day in 1971, to current favorites from around the resort. This book will be exclusively available at Walt Disney World Resort and shopDisney beginning September 28th.
You’re never too old to experience the joy of coloring, right? Well, for the creative spirit, this brand new adult coloring book is ideal for taking pencil to paper and adding your own brand of color and style. Get your colored pencils ready! This book will be exclusively available at Walt Disney World Resort and shopDisney beginning September 28th.
Walt Disney World will always be growing and evolving, just as Walt intended it. To keep up to date, you can trust Birnbaum as your 2021-2022 guide for insider tips on how to see and do it all! Get the scoop on what’s new for the 50th Anniversary, including insider updates on new attractions, resorts, and more. Available wherever books are sold beginning September 21st.
Kids think they are the experts on all things Disney… and they might just be right! In this book, real kids give honest advice for the most awesome Walt Disney World Resort vacation possible, including insider tips for young readers, must-do attraction and dining recommendations, and a hunt for dozens of Hidden Mickeys throughout the theme parks! Available wherever books are sold beginning September 21st.
For more information on these books and more, visit DisneyBooks.com.
5 – Walt Disney World Welcomes Adorable Giraffe Calf
In honor of the longest day of the year, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park announced the recent birth of a strapping, long-necked male giraffe.
The healthy calf weighed in at 183 pounds and stands six feet tall, according to Disney’s animal care team on site for the birth. The still-to-be named calf is calm, relaxed and enjoys cuddle time with his mom, Lily. Distinct markings reveal a butterfly on his right shoulder, heart-shaped spots on his coat and a white-tipped speckled mane.
Lily is a parenting pro, staying close to her baby to bond and nurse. Giraffes born at the park spend several weeks bonding in backstage environments before meeting members of their extended giraffe family.
The pitter patter of little hooves is quite familiar to the Disney animal care team. This new arrival is the third giraffe born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the past year, marking another success for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan Program. These plans ensure responsible breeding of threatened and endangered species. Giraffes are a vulnerable species facing a silent extinction in the wild, with a population decline of 40 percent over the past 30 years.
Walt Disney World Resort is a proud home to two subspecies of giraffes. Masai giraffe live on the park’s Kilimanjaro Safaris savanna, while Reticulated giraffe, Hybrid giraffe and Masai giraffe roam the savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom guests can keep their eyes peeled for mom and calf to join the rest of the giraffe herd on the savanna in the coming weeks.
See the adorable photos below in our Instagram post.
6 – Delish and Disney Team Up and Share Amazing Disney Recipes
Everyone loves a good recipe, and we especially love Disney Parks recipes that we can enjoy at home. That’s one of the reasons we’re so excited for the ‘Delish Loves Disney,’ which features more than 50 recipes from Disney parks and resorts around the world. Learn more and how you can get your copy at the link below!
Click here to learn more about how you can get the new ‘Delish Loves Disney’ magazine.
7 – The Search is on for Disney Magic Makers
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products announced this week the Disney Magic Makers contest, an all-new nationwide search to recognize and reward those who make magic by bringing comfort, support and joy to those around them.
Starting today through October 1, 2021, any U.S. resident over 18 can nominate a person who inspires them for the Disney Magic Makers contest by visiting www.disneymagicmakers.com and sharing the positive impact they have made. Fifty nominees whose inspirational acts of kindness, compassion, and creativity best exemplify the values of a #DisneyMagicMaker will win a trip to Walt Disney World Resort to join “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” for the 50th anniversary and a one-year subscription to Disney+ if eligible. People can further celebrate their hometown heroes with a public post using #DisneyMagicMakers on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok.
“All of us at Disney have been inspired by the countless acts of goodwill by people across the country throughout the pandemic,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Parks Experiences and Products. “These magic makers and their stories have changed us in ways we never imagined. That’s why we’re so proud to celebrate those who continue to make everyday magic a reality.”
To keep the magic in motion, Disney will donate a total of $400,000 among four non-profits that demonstrated resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: Make-A-Wish®, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and The Nature Conservancy. These organizations each found unique and innovative ways to continue serving their communities when they needed magic most.
Magic moments come in all shapes and sizes, from simple, sincere acts between neighbors to massive acts of charity, kindness and generosity. What binds these special moments together is the way they raise spirits, inspire communities, and connect people to one another. For more examples of inspiring acts of goodwill from #DisneyMagicMakers, see here.
The search begins now! For more details, visit www.disneymagicmakers.com and follow the conversation on social using #DisneyMagicMakers.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter contest between June 22, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. ET and October 1, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., who are 18 years of age at time of entry. Nominees must be at least 13 years of age at time of nomination. Limit 5 entries per person. See Official Rules and visit www.DisneyMagicMakers.com for full details on how to enter, eligibility requirements, contest entry periods, prize description and limitations. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, Inc., 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521.
What’s New and Happening Now at Walt Disney World Resort
2021 Taste of EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival – Now Through July 5, 2021
Click here to see photos and video of the Menu Boards with pricing for easy trip planning!
Click here to see photos and video of the different topiaries around EPCOT!
Click here for photos and video of our visit to the Flower and Garden Festival!
Click here to see photos of some of the food we have enjoyed at the 2021 Flower and Garden Festival.
Coming Soon to Walt Disney World
Summer Resort Reopenings
- July 2 – BoardWalk Inn
- Late July 2021 – Polynesian Village Resort
July 15 – November 2021 – The 2021 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
Click here for details on the 2021 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
August 10 – October 31, 2021 – Disney After Hours Boo Bash
October 1, 2021 – The Most Magical Celebration – 50 Years of Walt Disney World
October 1, 2021 – Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure & France Pavilion Expansion Opens
Jungle Cruise – Updated in Phases, while remaining open to guests in 2021
Star Wars Hotel – 2022
EPCOT Reimagined – Now Through 2022 and Beyond
Click here for what we know about the New EPCOT and what’s coming!
New and Coming Soon to Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Resort – Now Open
Click here for details on the reimagined Snow White’s Enchanted Wish – now open!
Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure – Now Open
Click here for more on the Avengers Campus! Now open at Disney California Adventure!
Click here for details on food and beverage offerings inside Avengers Campus.
Click here for information on merchandise available inside Avengers Campus.
Coming Soon to Disney Cruise Line
The Disney Wish
Click here for information on bookings for the inaugural season in summer 2022.
Itineraries in 2022
Click here to learn about Summer 2022 Itineraries on the Disney Cruise Line
Click here to learn about Early 2022 Itineraries on the Disney Cruise Line
Click here to learn about Marvel Day at Sea and Star Wars Day at Sea in Early 2022
For a no obligation, FREE Quote on a Disney vacation package, please contact our travel partner Magical Vacation Planner at 407-442-0227 (407-442-0215 for Spanish). You can also request a FREE quote online by Clicking HERE.