Global Mouse Travel Blog

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.(Dec. XX, 2019) – Five, four, three, two … one of the joyous ways to count down to 2020 is being part of the over-the-top New Year’s Eve events at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The Most Magical Place on Earth is so intertwined with the hope and promise each new year brings – it’s the perfect place to celebrate!
From champagne toasts to exquisite meals, dance parties to spectacular fireworks displays, here’s a sampling of the excitement in store as the calendar turns the page to 2020:
Theme Parks
Take a walk on the wild side for a fun and festive time as Disney’s Animal Kingdom stays open until midnight and DJs keep the night moving at Discovery Island, DinoLand U.S.A. and Asia. Be watching the iconic Tree of Life for a special countdown to midnight.
Magic Kingdom Park rocks out with DJ dance parties. Guests are invited to “grab your pardner” in Frontierland for a spin around the dance floor or catch the futuristic beats in Tomorrowland. Guests can stake out their favorite viewing space as the “Fantasy in the Sky” fireworks show returns for two nights only (in place of “Happily Ever After”) to light up the night leading to the midnight countdown. Celebration nights: Dec. 30 & 31, 2019; “Fantasy in the Sky” will also be shown at 6:30 p.m. each night.
Note: The Disney Parks Blog will host a livestream of “Fantasy in the Sky” beginning at 11:50 p.m. ET on Dec. 31. Visit DisneyParksBlog.com for more information.
At Epcot, several nations around World Showcase will roll out dance parties, and America Gardens Theatre will delight revelers with live music. Find a location along World Showcase Lagoon for the nighttime spectacular “Epcot Forever,” followed by the countdown to 2020 with a special New Year’s Eve display.
2019 will be a year long remembered at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with the debut of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in August and the new attraction Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance earlier this month. Magic from that galaxy far, far away will continue on New Year’s Eve as a special countdown will lead to a midnight performance of “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular,” the nighttime show featuring scenes from Star Wars films paired with fireworks and special effects.
Resorts and Restaurants
Disney resort hotels will ring in the new year with a bevy of special events and dining opportunities, including:

• Bienvenidos 2020! New Year’s Eve at Toledo – Tapas, Steak and Seafood: This new restaurant on the top floor of the new Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort offers a Spanish-inspired menu and flamenco guitarist who will delight in the main room while, next door at the Dahlia Lounge, a DJ leads the big countdown to 2020.
• Countdown to Midnight, A New Year’s Celebration at Disney’s BoardWalk: The countdown to 2020 at Atlantic Dance Hallfeatures a live DJ, party hats and horns, confetti drop, mouthwatering light-bite menu, champagne toast at midnight and views of the Epcot fireworks.
• New Year’s Eve at Flying Fish: Celebrate the arrival of a new year during a festive affair featuring a multi-course prix-fixe menu created by award-winning chef Tim Majoras. A sustainable seafood tower and intermezzo is included in a second seating for this restaurant at Disney’s BoardWalk.
• Elegant Evening Under the Stars at California Grill: Ring in the new year with an elegant toast, marvelous entertainment and a special appearance by favorite Disney characters atop Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Cap off the night with a dazzling rooftop view of the “Fantasy in the Sky” fireworks at Magic Kingdom.
• A New Year’s Eve Celebration at Narcoossee’s: Visit Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa to be part of this spectacular experience, where diners will enjoy a menu of local and global seafood selections in a relaxed waterside atmosphere with an early seating, or amp up the fun – including a live band for dancing the night away – with a later booking.

For more information or to book these festive experiences, visit Disneyworld.com.

Thanks to Mr.DAPS and the Team for the article.

The Avengers Campus will be opening and beginning to recruit new Super Heroes starting at the beginning of the summer of 2020. Disney made the announcement on Christmas morning and also shared some details about the new set of experiences making their way to the Disneyland Resort in Disney California Adventure

The entire campus will be found between Cars Land and Hollywood Land. With the arrival of the Avengers, a whole new generation of Super Heroes will be trained

​The Avengers Campus will introduce the Worldwide Engineering Brigade. Known as WEB, it will be based at the Avengers Campus. It will also feature a new Spider-Man attraction that will be the first Disney ride-through attraction based on this iconic web-slinger.

The attraction will be a part of an open house found at the Avengers Campus. Guests will get to go for a ride and test WEB’s new “Web Slinger” vehicle, one of their newest inventions. Of course, as so often happens, things get a bit complicated. A simple ride becomes a mission to help Spidey! Together guests will help Spider-Man collect some Spider-Bots that have gotten a bit out of control.

The Pym Test Kitchen will allow guests to experience food in the way that only Ant-Man and The Wasp could offer. Pym Particles will be utilized to grow and shrink food for guests to enjoy. This will be utilizing the latest and greatest technologies from Pym Technologies.

As one would expect, Avengers Campus will be filled with Super Heroes. Black Widow, Ant-Man and The Wasp, Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Super Heroes from Wakanda and Asgard, and Iron Man will all be out and about the campus. Guests will get to learn from these heroes just what it takes to be a Super Hero.

An iconic building that will be found at Avengers Campus will be the Avengers Headquarters. There, superheroes will occasionally be seen in action so keep a sharp eye out! This will also become the home of an all-new attraction in a second phase for the Avengers Campus.
When the Avengers Campus arrives in the summer of 2020 at the Disneyland Resort, it’ll let guests experience the world of Marvel’s greatest superheroes like never before! Are you excited about the arrival of the Avengers Campus? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Thank you to Mr.DAPS and the Team for the article!

This week Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort. This new attraction, a family-friendly E-ticket attraction, immerses guests into the middle of the Star Wars adventure like nothing has ever done before. Billed as one of the most ambitious projects Disney has ever tackled in an attraction, Rise of the Resistance was expected to be incredibly popular and generate some very long lines. For many, this evoked images of lines snaking around Disney’s Hollywood Studios as guests waited hours to experience the attraction. This isn’t what happened, however.
On Thursday when Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opened the Walt Disney World Resort introduced a virtual queue to handle the guests descending on Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is done utilizing the My Disney Experience app. Once at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests can enter the virtual queue via the app. If available, this will allow guests to get a boarding group and a general time that their boarding group will be called. Once in the virtual queue, guests are free to wait by experiencing the rest of the park rather than standing in a multi-hour line.
There are a few things to note about this virtual queue system. The first is that it has been filling up quite early in the day. On the opening day of the attraction, the virtual queue was filled up within a couple of hours of the park’s early opening. So, if this is an attraction that is a “must-do” for you, expect to get to the park EARLY. The second thing to note is that all of a group’s party must be at the park to enter the virtual queue. This is not a Fastpass+ so it can’t be entered from a hotel or at home. Guests must be at the park. Those who don’t have smartphones or the My Disney Experience app can enter the virtual queue by visiting Guest Services.
While there have been a few hiccups, overall the new virtual queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance seems to be working quite well. At this time, it isn’t known if the virtual queue will be utilized when the attraction opens at Disneyland on January 17, 2020. On the opening day of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, a virtual queue system was utilized and remained on standby for if there were too many guests attempting to enter the land. It has not been utilized since the land’s opening, however.
What do you think of the virtual queue? Is it a good system to allow guests to experience more of the park rather than spend their day waiting in a line for one single attraction? 

Each year at Disneyland ahead of the Candlelight Processional Disney fans speculate about who will be the celebrity narrator for this special event. This year that narrator is Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Miranda is known on both the stage and screen. For Disney he recently started as Jack in Mary Poppins Returns with Emily Blunt. He also wrote songs for Moana and appears on the soundtrack as well. In the theater he is know as the creator and lead actor in Hamilton. He also created and was the lead for In the Heights. 
Lin-Manuel Miranda is currently working on the live-action version of The Little Mermaid for Disney.
Candlelight has a rich legacy at the Disneyland Resort. Each year during the first weekend of December the story of Christmas is told with a celebrity narrator, 500 voice choir, orchestra, handbells, soloists, and fanfare trumpeters. DAPS MAGIC films the procession each year and posts it on YouTube. Recent narrators have included Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, and Ginnifer Goodwin among many others.

If you’re looking for a fun way to pass the time inside Disney Parks, the Play Disney Parks app is for you! It takes in the world around you as an opportunity to bring you even further into the story and making long queues around you fly by. In the case of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the app tells even more stories about the land that you may not be able to learn otherwise. As the land adds the newest attraction, Play Disney Parks app is adding Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance jobs so guests can help either side of the galaxy!
Whether you choose to support the First Order or the Resistance, you’ll have the opportunity to join in. If you join the Resistance, you’ll respond to a distress call from Finn and follow his path into Batuu. Along the way, you’ll help prisoners and droids escape from the grasp of the first order. You may even pick up some special plants and schematics along the way! If you support the First Order, you’ll take part in surveillance on the Resistance camp and help return information back to the Supreme Leader.
These jobs will become available when the attraction opens on December 5 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and January 17 at Disneyland Park.
What side will you join when Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance comes to a park near you? 

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will be officially open to the galaxy on December 5, 2019 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Starting January 17, 2020 guests will be able to experience the attraction at Disneyland as well in California. With the opening of this attraction at Walt Disney World, there are a lot of details coming out about what guests will be experiencing.

Backstory of Star Wars: Rise of the ResistanceThere is more known now about the backstory for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The timeline for it takes place after the Battle of Crait from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Following that battle, General Leia Organa led what was left of the Resistance to an undisclosed location.

While this is happening, another band of Resistance supporters has also established an outpost on Batuu. A remote planet located on the edge of the Outer Rim Territories. This was thanks to the scouting of the Resistance spy Vi Moradi. Unfortunately, the First Order and Supreme Leader Kylo Ren has hunted them and landed at Black Spire Outpost in search of the Resistance fighters.

It is on Batuu and the Outer Rim where the Resistance is rebuilding in hopes of bringing freedom to the galaxy. To do this, they are seeking recruits. This is where the beginning of Star Wars: Rise of Resistance begins.

Star Wars: Rise of Resistance OverviewWhen guests experience Star Wars: Rise of Resistance, they will board a transport shuttle to join the resistance. Onnce in space, they will be captured by a Star Destroyer and pursued by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren while they desperately look for a way to escape the First Order.

Star Wars: Rise of Resistance Attraction DetailsStar Wars: Rise of Resistance will take guests on an experience like never had before. The experience will bring a new reality to the world of Star Wars as guests become completely immersed in the story. This attraction will be one of the longest Disney attraction experiences ever. It will also have quite a few surprises along the way as guests see and experience things that seemed to only be possible in the world of movies and fantasy.
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The following details give a lot of information about what the attraction will be like when guests experience it. If you do not want any spoilers for the attraction, it is best to stop reading this article now. Following the photo gallery, the details of the attraction will be laid out as shared by Disney.

Join the Resistance

• Guests exploring Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge find the Resistance’s temporary encampment in the forested area along the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost on Batuu.
• The gateway to the encampment is marked by a large turret. From there, a pathway leads deeper into the forest toward towering cliffs and the crumbling remains of an ancient civilization. Guests weave through low stone walls, timeworn pillars and tight corridors as they progress farther into the base, hearing military communications chatter along the way.
• In a makeshift briefing room, Rey – a hero of the cause – appears via holo-transmission alongside dutiful droid BB-8 to welcome the new Resistance recruits. She shares a plan to reunite with General Leia Organa at an off-planet location that must be kept secret from the First Order.
• Guests then board a nearby Intersystem Transport Ship (I-TS) and have to make their rendezvous quickly to avoid a First Order Star Destroyer on its way to Batuu. They should have a bad feeling about this …

An All-Encompassing Attraction Experience

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance throws out the rulebook for traditional attraction design, eschewing and/or blending industry notions such as “queue,” “preshow” and “ride” to create a seamless, holistic experience full of rich details and breathtaking excitement on a cinematic scale.
• When guests board the I-TS, they’ll feel as if they’re lifting off the surface of Batuu and blasting into space alongside Poe Dameron in his signature black-painted X-wing starfighter, Black One.
• Before the I-TS can make the jump to lightspeed, it’s caught in the tractor beam of a Star Destroyer and pulled into a massive hangar bay.
• Guests make their escape from the Star Destroyer aboard eight-passenger First Order Fleet Transports piloted by reprogrammed R5-series astromech droids.
• The attraction features grand set pieces – including the hangar bay that is filled with 50 menacing stormtroopers and a docked TIE fighter. At various points, guests dodge blaster bolts from stormtroopers and AT-AT walkers, scurry past huge turbolaser cannons, and stumble into the Star Destroyer’s bridge.
• Throughout their journey, guests are hunted by Kylo Ren, who uses the Force in an attempt to pry from their minds the location of General Organa’s secret base. Guests feel Ren’s tremendous malevolent power as they narrowly avoid his attacks.

Authentically Star Wars

• Actors from the current Star Wars film trilogy reprise their roles for new scenes and dialogue in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, including Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) and Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux). Many scenes were filmed at the same time “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” were in production.
• Poe Dameron’s X-wing is one of several vehicles from the Star Wars galaxy appearing in the attraction.
• Disney cast members adopt personalities of First Order and Resistance troops throughout the attraction to further deepen the immersive experience for guests.
• Walt Disney Imagineering worked hand in hand with Lucasfilm in writing the attraction’s script, ensuring characters and storylines were properly integrated into the broader Star Wars
• The attraction introduces a new featured character: Lieutenant Bek is a Mon Calamari Resistance officer who helps guide the Resistance recruits through their harrowing journey.

Cutting-Edge Technology Powers Immersive Storytelling

• Walt Disney Imagineering combined multiple ride systems to tell the story of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. In one sequence, a new simulator experience gives the sensation of falling from space to crash land on Batuu.
• The trackless ride vehicles in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance are some of the most advanced ever used in a Disney attraction, with a sleek, low profile and the ability to move in all directions.
• Disney A-1000 Audio-Animatronicsfigures appearing in the attraction provide a deep level of immersive storytelling through their lifelike and dynamic movements.
• To fully realize this Star Wars story, Imagineers created thousands of special effects, from slashing lightsabers and whizzing blaster bolts to exploding walls and massive star fields – just to name a few.

It was a rather cool, winter type day at the Disneyland Resort for it being December 1. This made for a somewhat comfortable day. Crowds were fairly mild as it was also a travel day for many to go home after the Thanksgiving holiday.
I got to Disneyland around 2pm, but I was ready for the day once I got to the Parks. Of course, I got the obligatory photo of Main Street Station. After entering Town Square, I noticed more Candlelight prep had been made since I was at the Parks on Friday. Candlelight Processional is scheduled for this coming weekend, weather permitting.

Since Mr. DAPs, Caitie, and Jenny were already in the Parks, I texted to see where they were so I could meet up with them. They were across from ‘it’s a small world’ holiday waiting for ‘A Christmas Fantasy’ Parade.
This parade has been a holiday favorite at Disneyland since 1995. Several characters, as well as parade units have been added, removed, changed, and/or moved around over the years. Of course, the parade opens with the ballerina and teddy bear, the marching toy soldiers, Mickey, Minnie, Mrs. Claus, Chip, Dale, Donald, and dancing elves.
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Next up is the Ballroom Unit featuring the Disney Princesses and Princes. You can find the Tremaine’s, Snow White and her Prince, Tiana and Naveen, Belle and Beast, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Aurora and Phillip, and Ariel and Eric, as well as ballroom dancers

Up next is the Toy Workshop Unit. This unit features characters from Toy Story, so you will see the Green Army Men, Jessie, Woody, and Buzz. And new this year to the big sack of toys is Forky from ‘Toy Story 4,’ so be in the lookout for him

After the parade, we made our way to Disney California Adventure by following the parade towards Main Street. It was nice to get some unique angles of the finale float making its way down the parade route

We finally made it to Disney California Adventure. Jenny and I headed to the Cozy Cones in Cars Land for some peppermint soft serve, while Mr. DAPs and Caitie headed to find Festival of Holidays food. 
The peppermint soft serve is found at the Ice Cream Cones ‘Cone.’ It’s served in a cup or cone, and comes with fun holiday sprinkles, and a gold star! It’s $5.79 plus tax, and discounts do not apply here. But the peppermint soft serve is very good, not too minty, and it definitely turns your tongue green, but it doesn’t stay green for long.

On Wednesday, December 4, the dedication ceremony for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance be held. When it happens, Walt Disney World will be livestreaming the event. The event will bring celebrities, entertainment, and a new look at the attraction throughout the course of the livestream.

​This special livestream will take place on Wednesday at 6:55 p.m. EST or 3:55 p.m. PST 

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance allows guests to join the Resistance in a battle against the First Order. The attraction utilizes multiple ride systems. It also will be approximately 15 minutes long, according to Bob Chapek. Throughout the experience, guests will see laser blasts, holograms, animatronics, and other new special effects.
According to a special on Freeform dedicated to the attraction, guests will enter the attraction as recruits to the Resistance. They will board a transport on Batuu. Once on board the transport, Rey (Daisy Ridley) will inform the new recruits of their mission. The mission is to meet up with the rest of the Resistance at General Organa’s secret base on Bakura. With Poe Dameron as the transport’s wingman, the adventure begins. The transport is soon intercepted by the First Order though and things get really interesting. Finn shows up with directions on how to escape and guests find themselves actively immersed in the midst of the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will be opening at Walt Disney World in Disney’s Hollywood Studios on December 5, 2019 and at Disneyland on January 17, 2020.

On December 3, Disney will be streaming live from Epcot a special presentation of The Candlelight Processional. For this stream, actor Neal Patrick Harris will be narrating the Christmas Story.

The Candlelight Processional combines the traditional scripture of the Christmas story as read by a celebrity narrator.  The narrator is joined by a mass choir and also orchestra.

​The livestream for The Candlelight Processional will begin at 8:10 p.m. EDT or 5:10 p.m. PST. 

There are quite a few fun things going on this week at the Disneyland Resort. Picking just five will be harder to do than normal but I will do my best! Since it has been raining all week and it is going to be raining this coming week, I’m going to pick some of my favorite things to do in the rain at the Disneyland Resort.

​Mark Twain RiverboatThere are few things more beautiful, calm, and relaxing than a river cruise around the Rivers of America on the Mark Twain. Add the rain, and this beautiful cruise becomes completely magical. It is a cozy experience to steam around on the Mark Twain. For added magic, grab a cup of coffee or hot cocoa before hopping on board! Double magic, catch a cruise as close to dusk as possible! The lights glow and it is absolutely wonderful!

Ragtime Piano at Refreshment Corner

Stop by Refreshment Corner, or Coke Corner, during most days and you will see the piano just outside with a pianist tickling the ivories. On rainy days, the piano is moved inside! The pianist entertains those getting their food and those looking to get out of the rain.

Main Street CinemaThis is another spot that is great to go and enjoy with a warm beverage. Stop by the Main Street Cinema and enjoy some classic Mickey Mouse cartoons! There are even benches now! One thing to note, I usually stand as the benches tend to be a bit cold when it is rainy and I’m all wet. This is a great getaway on a rainy day but also on a sunny hot day! This is a hidden gem at Disneyland.
Star Wars Launch BayStar Wars Launch Bay is another place that is great to visit when the weather is either really warm or really wet and cold. This is a great place to meet Star Wars characters, see some incredible models, do some shopping, and also get some really cool photos. There are blue walls around the middle section that can make for some incredible lighting for photos. The glow of the walls has really been a lot of fun to take some artsy photos! Stop by, enjoy getting out of the weather, and get some incredible pictures here!

Mickey’s Christmas Rainy Day CavalcadeWhen it is raining at the Disneyland Resort, A Christmas Fantasy isn’t able to be presented. Instead, Mickey’s Christmas Rainy Day Cavalcade is offered. This is a quick performance that is packed with magic and adventure. With just a few Main Street vehicles, characters are packed into cars and the Omnibus to make the journey down the parade route. Santa and Mrs. Claus are also present in a car. The music is lively and it is worth standing in the rain to catch this fun little cavalcade. The level of cheer and energy contradicts the rain coming down quite often and it is a blast to watch!

Rainy days at the Disneyland Resort can be a challenge. A day at Disneyland already takes a lot of energy; add inclement weather and the day can be even more exhausting. However, finding the fun in the midst of the weather can make for an entirely different magical experience that I love! What are your favorite things to do on rainy days at the Disneyland Resort?

By Mr. DAPs|December 1st, 2019|Categories: Blogs, Disneyland Resort, Mr. DAPs, Mr. DAPs Desk, Parks|Tags: Coke Corner, Disney, Disneyland, Disneyland Resort, Favorite Five, Main Street Cinema, Mark Twain, Mickey's Christmas Rainy Day Cavalcade, Mr. DAPs, Ragtime Piano, Rain, Star Wars Launch Bay