Disney Parks Latest News, Photos, and Videos

Disney Parks has announced some great news this week!

It was revealed last week that theme parks in California would be able to reopen at limited capacity starting April 1st, and now Disney CEO Bob Chapek has shared when Disneyland plans to reopen.

“Here in California, we’re encouraged by the positive trends we’re seeing and we’re hopeful they’ll continue to improve and we’ll be able to reopen our Parks to guests with limited capacity by late April — we look forward to publicizing an opening date in the coming weeks,” he said in a statement.

The reason for them not opening on April 1st is because “it will take some time to get them ready for our guests – this includes recalling more than 10,000 furloughed Cast and retraining them to be able to operate according to the State of California’s new requirements.”

In addition, it was also revealed that Walt Disney World‘s new attracting, Remi’s Ratatouille Adventure, will be opening at EPCOT on October 1st, to help kick off WDW’s 50th anniversary celebrations. WDW first opened on October 1, 1971.

Remi’s Ratatouille Adventure is a brand new ride at the France pavilion in the park, where “you’ll feel like you’ve shrunk to the size of Chef Remy as you scurry through Gusteau’s famous restaurant on a wild adventure for the whole family (no height requirement!).”

Along with the ride, based off of the Pixar movie Ratatouille, of course, the park will also open up La Crêperie de Paris, “a new restaurant offering both table- and quick-service options. The menu will feature sweet crepes, savory buckwheat galettes (naturally gluten friendly) and authentic French hard cider.”

Find out more about Remi’s Ratatouille Adventure and La Crêperie de Paris on the Disney Parks Blog!

Huge news for California theme parks and the tourism industry!!

California government officials just gave the go-ahead to theme parks to open back up outdoors starting April 1st, according to Variety.

Parks will be able to reopen at “significantly reduced capacity, mandatory masking and other public health precautions.”

“With case rates and hospitalizations significantly lower, the arrival of three highly effective vaccines and targeted efforts aimed at vaccinating the most vulnerable communities, California can begin gradually and safely bringing back more activities, especially those that occur outdoors and where consistent masking is possible,” Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said in a statement. “Even with these changes, California retains some of the most robust public health protocols in the country.”

This is big news for theme parks in California, as they are coming up on the one year anniversary of being closed. Parks closed March 14, 2020 due to the pandemic.

Disneyland president Ken Potrock just released a statement on the exciting news.

“We are encouraged that theme parks now have a path toward reopening this spring, getting thousands of people back to work and greatly helping neighboring businesses and our entire community,” he shared. “With responsible Disney safety protocols already implemented around the world, we can’t wait to welcome our guests back and look forward to sharing an opening date soon.”

The OG Disney park is the last of the Disney parks to reopen. All of the other parks have been opened since last July, with many health and safety protocols in place. Earlier this year, Disneyland even suspended their annual pass program indefinitely as a reopen date seemed unlikely any time soon.

Magic Kingdom is coming to life in a whole new way!

The Walt Disney World theme park is getting a brand new series and television universe, which will air on Disney+, THR reports.

Screenwriter, producer and Disney fan Ron Moore is developing the new Magic Kingdom universe of shows for the streamer, starting with The Society of Explorers and Adventurers, “which is set in a world where all the themed lands and characters of the Disney parks and classic films actually exist in another reality.”

The new series is just in the very beginning stages, and Ron is working closely with Disney Imagineers to help with the project.

According to THR, “the idea, per sources, is to explore characters — like sea boat captain from the Jungle Cruise or prospector from Big Thunder Mountain or the climbers of the Matterhorn, for example — as part of the world of The Society of Explorers and Adventurers. (To be clear, none of those characters or storylines are currently on the table at this stage.)”

This exciting news comes just less than a week since Walt Disney World announced it’s plans for the Orlando, Fla., resort’s upcoming 50th anniversary, which will kick off celebrations on October 1st.

For the milestone anniversary, they will add to Cinderella castle’s recent makeover with the 50th anniversary crest. In addition, the castle will add more magic at night, as well as magical touches being added to it’s other parks – Disney’s Animal Kingdom, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. Find out more and see a first look on the Disney Parks Blog!

The Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland is going through some renovations!

Disney Parks announced this week that the comedic ride is getting a bit of a makeover.

The ride is one of the original attractions from when the Disneyland park opened in 1955 in Anaheim, Calif. You can also check out the ride at the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World. Both will be getting the new updates!

Among the changes coming include adding the skippers into the ride, and featuring one of the river boats sinking.

“As part of this story update, we’ll get to follow a skipper and his passengers as their journey goes awry. That’s right, for the first time ever, the skipper role will not only be that of a live, experienced and witty guide, but also represented by a show figure within the attraction itself. In fact, the expedition will be up a tree (literally!) after their sunken boat splits apart and chimps board the wreckage, with monkey business ensuing,” Disney Imagineer Kevin Lively said.

“But that’s not even half of the hull story,” he continued. “Fans of the Jungle Cruise attraction may recall some boats that used to make their way around the river but haven’t been seen for a while – specifically the Mekong Maiden and the Kwango Kate. Ever wonder happened to them? Well, you might go ape when you find out! Ultimately, the jungle gets the last laugh.”

“As Imagineers, it is our responsibility to ensure experiences we create and stories we share reflect the voices and perspectives of the world around us. With Jungle Cruise, we’re bringing to life more of what people love – the humor and wit of our incredible skippers, while making needed updates,” Carmen Smith, Executive, Creative Development & Inclusion Strategies, Walt Disney Imagineering, said in a statement.

Check out a preview of the changes in the video right here, and see more on the Disney Parks Blog!

The Jungle Cruise has also inspired a new movie, which stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. It’s set to be released on July 30th. Check out the trailer here!

If you missed it, another Disneyland attraction is getting a major revamp!

Joe Biden will soon be seen at Walt Disney World!

The Orlando Disney theme park is adding the 46th President to it’s “The Hall of Presidents” attraction in Liberty Square.

The attraction is currently closed for refurbishments, and a WDW spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday morning (January 20) that they are adding the newly sworn-in President to the attraction, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

This isn’t surprising as each new president gets a new animatronic figure in the attraction, which shows every president in the country’s history.

Here’s a rundown of the 25-minute show: “Take your seat in the stately theater, home to 3 massive digital projection screens and a grand proscenium. Watch an original film—developed by a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian—that tells the dramatic story of the nation’s founding.

Learn about the formation of our Constitution and the hard-fought struggles along the way—such as the American Revolution and the Civil War. Listen to the stirring words of John F. Kennedy echo through the theater and watch Abraham Lincoln—in attendance on stage—deliver his Gettysburg address.”

You will then “watch the curtain rise to reveal startlingly realistic Audio-Animatronics replicas of every President of the United States—together for the very first time. Hear speeches delivered by George Washington and the newest addition to the Hall, 45th President Donald J. Trump.”

Watch a behind-the-scenes video of the attraction here!

Disneyland Paris has been closed since October, and will remain closed for another few months!

The French theme park was set to reopen in February, but has now had to delay their second reopening and is looking to open back up on April 2nd, given conditions allow.

“Due to the prevailing conditions in Europe, Disneyland Paris will not reopen on the 13th of February as initially planned,” the park revealed. “If conditions permit, we will reopen on the 2nd of April 2021 and will welcome reservations from that date forward. Given the current context our plans continue to evolve, but please know that we will make every effort to share with you any updates as soon as it is possible.”

Disneyland Paris first shut down back in March 2020 and began a phased reopening in July. They then shut down again at the end of October as French President Emmanuel Macron put the country on lockdown as cases were rising again.

Hong Kong Disneyland and the original Disneyland park in California are also currently closed. Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland are all open, but at limited capacity.

Anaheim’s Disneyland recently announced that they were effectively cancelling their Annual Pass program since there is no reopening date in sight, though they hope to open in 2021.

Tom Holland is bringing Spider-Man to Disney California Adventure park in Anaheim, Calif.

The 24-year-old actor is reprising his Marvel role for the new WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure ride in the new Avengers Campus land.

“What Disney Imagineers have created is pretty spectacular. I mean, when I first joined playing Spider-Man, I went to Avengers Headquarters and it was just a bunch of green screens,” Tom says in the video. “So the fact that there’s a legit place where people can go and visit is pretty awesome.”

“I’m just super excited to shared this with the fans, but also experience it for myself,” he added. “For me, personally, it’s the most I’ve ever felt like Spider-Man.”

On WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure, “your mission will be to test-drive the aspiring inventor’s latest invention, the WEB Slinger vehicle, and discover your web-slinging super powers! Through specially designed, innovative technology that recognizes body movements and gestures, you will reach out your hands and sling webs from your wrists, just like Spider-Man. As the WEB Slinger vehicles progress, you will virtually pass through several other Campus addresses, including Pym Test Kitchen, Avengers Headquarters and the Collector’s Fortress, also home to Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! As the mission continues, Spider-Bots will become harder and harder to beat as they continue to multiply.”

Learn more about the ride on the Disney Parks Blog!

Disneyland recently revealed it’s latest plans on when the Avengers Campus will open!

In case you missed them, new photos were released over the weekend of Tom on set of the upcoming Spider-Man 3, along with co-star Zendaya.