Disneyland Resort president Jill Estorino confirmed that Tomorrowland’s reimagining will move ahead of the Avatar destination at Disney California Adventure. The update came during a media session at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Here’s the latest, along with information published by Scott Gustin from the closed media session.

Disneyland Moves Tomorrowland Ahead of Avatar in New Construction Order

Estorino laid out the sequence during the closed media session. Avengers Campus and Coco remain the near-term priorities at Disney California Adventure. The reimagined Tomorrowland project comes next. “Avengers Campus is on the way and will be first out of the gate. Then we’re going to have the addition of the new Coco-themed attraction at Disney California Adventure, followed by the transformation of this reimagined Tomorrowland, and then the new Avatar destination in the Hollywood Backlot,” Estorino said.

That order places Tomorrowland ahead of Avatar for the first time. Disney had previously indicated the Avatar destination would replace a portion of the Hollywood Backlot, with Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue closing to make way for it. That Monsters Inc.-themed attraction will now remain open into 2027. Estorino’s comments signal that active development on the Backlot project will wait until Tomorrowland is further along. “In the short term, our development focus is going to shift to Tomorrowland, and then return to the Hollywood Backlot in the future to enable this work,” she said.

Estorino framed the sequencing as a deliberate choice, not a delay forced by other factors. “We believe that delivering the projects this way is the right thing to do for our fans. We’re going to be able to provide a reimagined Tomorrowland in Walt’s park while continuing to invest in Disney California Adventure to bring new stories to life over time,” she said.

Emily “Emo” O’Brien, portfolio executive creative producer for Disneyland Resort, said the team returned to Walt’s opening day remarks for direction. “We really looked back to Walt’s opening-day speech that he gave, and we were inspired by his vision of Tomorrowland being a vista into a world of wondrous ideas. And we really garnered the sense of optimism that was at the core of everything that he was thinking about in Tomorrowland. And so we’re using that as our basis to go forward,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien also pointed to the balance between preserving what Tomorrowland has meant to guests and updating it for new ones. “We want to keep the heritage and the responsibility of honoring that legacy at the center, but we have to evolve it for our new generations, current and future to come. So that is kind of our guidepost, as Jill said,” she said.

O’Brien described the project as carrying particular weight given Tomorrowland’s place in Disneyland history. “I understand kind of the gravitas and the responsibility that I have with our teams to guide us through this journey of reimagining the only Tomorrowland that Walt actually envisioned, designed and walked in,” she said.

No construction timeline or opening date has been announced for the reimagined Tomorrowland. Disney has not said how long the Avatar destination will be pushed back as a result. We will continue following both projects as more details emerge.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

Disneyland Resort has welcomed its 1 billionth guest, and Disney marked the milestone this morning with a ceremony at the entrance of Disneyland Park. The honor went to Andres Robles, an 8-year-old from Arizona who arrived with his parents to celebrate his birthday, not knowing he was about to become part of park history. The milestone counts guests across both Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park over seven decades. It arrives just days before the resort’s 71st anniversary on July 17th.

Disneyland Resort Celebrates Its 1 Billionth Guest

The family took part in a brief ceremony with the Disney Ambassadors of Disneyland Resort at the Main Street USA train station platform. There, they helped unveil an updated sign listing the population of Disneyland as 1,000,000,000. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse made a special appearance on the platform, and Donald Duck and Daisy Duck later joined Andres and his family for a photo. Jill Estorino, President of Disneyland Resort, greeted Andres and his parents during the ceremony.

That population sign is the fun detail here. It sits on the Main Street USA railroad station, and it has read 650 million since 2013, so today’s jump to a round billion is the first update in more than a decade. A 900 million figure surfaced earlier this year in the Disneyland Handcrafted documentary, but the sign itself wasn’t updated until now.

The resort has grown a lot since then. It now includes two theme parks, three hotels, and the Downtown Disney District, and it served as the inspiration for Disney theme parks and experiences around the world. Reaching a billion guests days before the 71st anniversary is Disney’s way of making the point that Walt Disney’s original idea, a family park where parents and children could have fun together, still holds up. Disney closed its announcement with Walt’s line that Disneyland “will never be complete as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

The next generation of Audio-Animatronics is no longer a concept. Disney has put its new projection-mapped face technology into a Disney theme park attraction for the first time, and it shows up in one of Disneyland’s oldest scenes. The skeleton pirate atop the gold in Pirates of the Caribbean contains the first projection-mapped Audio-Animatronic face for a Disney theme park attraction. What he can do now wasn’t possible on any Disney figure before this.

Disney’s First Projection-Mapped Audio-Animatronic Face Debuts at Pirates of the Caribbean

What Just Debuted at Disneyland

The figure on top of the gold in scene 11 of Pirates of the Caribbean is the same greedy pirate guests have passed for 59 years, frozen as a skeleton. Disney has now brought him to life using a new hybrid system that pairs a traditional animatronic with a real-time projected face. It is the first park installation of the next-generation Audio-Animatronics technology Imagineering revealed last year.

Disney frames the result as the character’s full backstory. In its announcement, Imagineering said the new technology lets the pirate show a story guests never saw, calling it “the story that’s been there all along.” The story runs as a loop: the pirate finds a single cursed gold coin, the spell freezes him the moment he picks it up, his arm later drops the coin and frees him, and his greed pulls him back to grab it again. Imagineering describes three distinct moods that carry him through that cycle.

At the time, Disney named characters that could benefit, including Mike Wazowski, Lightning McQueen, and Hades, and fans wondered whether the tease pointed toward Monstropolis, Piston Peak National Park, or Villains Land. The Pirates figure is the answer to the most basic open question from that reveal: where the technology would show up first. It debuted in a classic scene rather than a new land.

How the Projection System Works

The system layers two technologies. A traditional animatronic figure handles the physical motion, while that figure’s animation data feeds in real time into Unreal Engine, a result of Disney’s ongoing partnership with Epic Games. The projected media reacts to whatever the figure does. The hard part is the surface, since Disney is projecting onto a moving figure and moving objects rather than a flat screen. The team says it developed and patented a new technique to keep the image aligned every time, and in the walkthrough video, an Imagineer slides the projected face off the figure to prove it is a projection, then moves the figure by hand while the image tracks it precisely.

Calibration is where the project shines. A camera system in the scene normally needs visible targets to locate an object, but the heavily costumed pirate did not lend itself to that, so Imagineering built the calibration markers directly into his bandanna. Those markers stay invisible to guests. They activate under UV light, so the system calibrates at night when the markers glow yellow, and the UV lights switch off during the day. The scene uses two projectors, with only one active at a time, and the second standing by as a backup. Disney also built redundancy into the tracking itself, so even if a motor fails and the figure moves incorrectly, the projected face stays aligned.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

Five Disneyland Cast Members have been transported to a local hospital following a backstage hazmat reaction. Disneyland says that the reaction was triggered by building materials used by a contractor. Here’s the latest.

Hazmat Reaction Sends Five Disneyland Cast Members to Hospital

This afternoon, building materials being used by a contractor produced a reaction backstage at Disneyland park. Following the reaction, the area was examined by appropriate response teams. Several Cast Members were treated on-site by paramedics and released. Additionally, five Cast Members were experiencing dizziness and shortness of breath. Those Cast Members were transported to local hospitals.

Out of an abundance of caution, adjacent onstage areas in Tomorrowland were cleared of guests and are expected to reopen soon.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

It’s a tradition that started back in 1987 when New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms was the first to say, “I’m Going to Disney World” after winning the Super Bowl. Over the years, many of the game’s greatest players have followed in those footsteps, visiting either Walt Disney World or Disneyland. This year, Seattle Seahawks running back and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker will join quarterback Sam Darnold for a celebratory visit to Disneyland. Here’s the latest!

Moments after the final whistle, Walker and Darnold made the proclamation in front of thousands of jubilant Seahawks fans. Disney camera crews captured the excitement for our cherished Super Bowl commercial, now airing across social media and TV in English and Spanish.

Now the excitement shifts to Disneyland Resort in Southern California, which is currently celebrating 70 years of The Happiest Place on Earth. Guests can look forward to an incredible day tomorrow, Monday, February 9, as Kenneth Walker III and Sam Darnold take center stage, enjoying attractions and unforgettable moments with beloved Disney characters.

The festivities will culminate in a celebratory cavalcade down Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland park, during which thousands of cheering fans can catch a glimpse of the champion players.

This year marks the start of a historic year for Disney’s ESPN, which will host its first-ever Super Bowl next year with Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027. To celebrate, ESPN will have special coverage from Disneyland Park as part of a 24-hour event called “The Handoff”.

On Monday, February 9th, ESPN will have a set in Town Square at the foot of Main Street, U.S.A., within Disneyland Park. First Take with Stephen A. Smith, multiple editions of SportsCenter, NFL Live, and a second episode of Super Bowl Live will originate from within the park. ESPN will also welcome and honor running back Kenneth Walker from the Super Bowl LX winning Seattle Seahawks.

Not only will Super Bowl LXI be ESPN’s first, but it will also be the 40th year of the iconic “I’m Going to Disney World” moment from 1987.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

The Disneyland Resort has announced that some new (classic) characters will be coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge soon. This move will continue the abandonment of the strictly established timeline for the land when it first opened back in 2019. When Galaxy’s Edge first debuted, Imagineers said that the timeline of the land sits between Episodes 8 and 9. Imagineering has already started to create some space between that strict timeline. And now, even more classic characters are coming soon.

Darth Vader, Han Solo & More Coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Timeline Further Abandoned

We’ll start with the announcement from Disneyland, followed by some thoughts. Here’s what Disneyland said:

We have a good feeling about this. Disneyland Resort is unlocking the timeline at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in the biggest way yet.

Fans know that Batuu has played a role in the history of the galaxy for hundreds of years on the Outer Rim. Beginning April 29, 2026, visitors will be invited to immerse themselves in different points of the Star Wars saga inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland park as they never have before with characters and storylines that capture the heart of what draws guests to this galaxy far, far away. These exciting updates to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will enable visitors to experience even more of the eras of Star Wars.

New storylines will be brought to life on Batuu, spanning multiple eras of the planet’s rich history. These updates will enable you to experience the Galactic Civil War and New Republic, as well as the Age of the Resistance and First Order.

Black Spire Outpost will roll back in time several decades, thoughtfully introducing beloved characters from across the Star Wars timeline, new props and graphics in some areas, musical selections from Star Wars film scores throughout the land and more. Each era will be brought to life with the same care and attention to detail that the land was originally designed with, masterfully weaving together stories from across time and space in one location.

Cue “The Imperial March.” Darth Vader’s search for Luke Skywalker will bring him to Batuu. This Sith Lord will be joined by Imperial Stormtroopers, and as they seek the elusive Jedi, they may find hints of the Force around the outpost.

Leia Organa and Han Solo will be reunited with Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca amid the rocky spires.

Luke Skywalker will roam the outpost seeking knowledge of the Force and artifacts related to lightsaber building, kyber crystals, and more.

Leia Organa may be spotted near the Millennium Falcon, where she’ll recruit travelers and locals to help keep Luke safe.

Han Solo also will linger around his prized ship, tempted by the local cantina.

The forested area on the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost will continue to represent a time inspired by the Age of the Resistance. You may find Rey around this Resistance camp, and if you’re bold enough, become a hero yourself in a climactic battle with the First Order aboard Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

As Batuu’s history is represented with new storylines, you may notice some updates to buildings and shops throughout the land.

First Order Cargo will transform into Black Spire Surplus, a military salvage operation offering artifacts from across the history of the galaxy, including Imperial and Rebel items from the Galactic Civil War.

As antiquities shops often do, Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities will display a different array of one-of-a-kind items from its past. The curiosities and artifacts in his shop certainly change with the times.

An earlier generation of the Mubo family will operate Droid Depot, where they will be prototyping the BB style of droid. You’ll still have the opportunity to purchase and create your own droid companion at this shop.

In his search for information on lightsabers and the Force, Luke Skywalker will be interested in meeting with Savi. You may continue to have the opportunity to purchase and build your own lightsaber under the guidance of Savi’s Gatherers.

Ultimately, this is going to result in more guests meeting more of the characters that they’re familiar with. This is going to be a win for guests, and we can only hope that something similar will happen with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios – especially with the closure of the Star Wars Launch Bay.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a video showcasing the installation and behind-the-scenes work to bring a first-of-its-kind large-scale 3D printed prop to the Jungle Cruise attraction. The video takes place at Disneyland, showing crews installing an outrigger canoe on the Jungle Cruise attraction. What makes this prop special is that it is a large-scale, 3D printed prop – a first for Walt Disney Imagineering.

First and foremost, the creation of this prop was not done 100% in-house at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Disney is being very transparent about that. Instead, the prop is a result of not only a partnership, but an investment by Disney into a company called Haddy. Here’s how Disney describes Haddy:

The video says that this is the first time that Walt Disney Imagineering has 3D printed a prop to permanently live in one of Disney’s attractions. I’m a little bit skeptical of that claim on the surface without a scale modifier, but it very well could be the first large-scale 3D printed prop to be installed on a ride.

Imagineering is exploring large-format additive manufacturing, or large 3D printing. The boat itself was designed within the Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development division, sent to Haddy for the printing of the boat. Imagineers said that they took the old boat, did a 3D scan of it, had it printed, and then finished the boat with details from a photo taken in the 1960s.

Haddy CEO Jay Rogers says that Haddy has changed the game, allowing 3D printing to move out of the prototype role and into a functional role within theme parks and beyond. Rogers says that Haddy’s process creates items that are reliable, less expensive, faster to develop, and replicable in any theme park, all over the world.

While Haddy started out as a furniture company, The Walt Disney Company invested in Haddy last year as part of its Disney Accelerator. Disney says that they were able to invest in Haddy and level up their processes to make them consistent with the level of quality Disney expects.

Now in its 11th year, the Disney Accelerator continues Disney’s legacy of creative and technological leadership by engaging pioneering companies and visionary founders from around the world.

The program is an illustration of the many ways Disney invests in innovation, offering a unique opportunity for select emerging companies who are at the cutting-edge in their fields and that align with Disney’s vision for the future of entertainment. Participating companies receive investment capital, as well as the opportunity to explore collaborations with leaders across The Walt Disney Company. Since 2014, more than 60 global companies have come through Disney Accelerator, including Epic Games, Eleven Labs, Kahoot!, Attentive, StatusPro, AudioShake, and many more.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

The Disneyland Resort has announced that a new show featuring the mega-popular character Bluey will debut in March 2026. The new show is called Bluey’s Best Day Ever! and it will be presented in the Fantasyland Theatre in Disneyland Park. Here are the full details!

This immersive, family-friendly celebration will transform the Fantasyland Theatre into the grounds of Bluey’s school, where you can join the fun of Bluey’s best day ever. Throughout the day, Bluey and her sister Bingo will appear live on stage, joining a troupe of comedic actors and musicians. Together, they will bring to life the popular music and games emblematic of beloved Bluey episodes, inspiring young families and guests of all ages to participate.

From entertaining live musical show moments that seamlessly segue into iconic games like Keepy Uppy, to interactive adventures in a life-sized Gnome Village and Fairy Garden, it’s a special time when play is welcomed and memories are created by all. You can step into the fair at Bluey’s school with the Grannies, Chattermax, Unicorse and delight in select themed fave foods at Troubadour Tavern, inspired by the animated series.

Disney has previously promised a Bluey presence in Walt Disney World too, but no details have been announced at this time.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

Disneyland has announced that it will soon be adding Rapunzel’s Tower to the Storybook Land Canal Boats attraction as part of the resort’s 70th Anniversary celebrations. The addition joins the picturesque realm of miniature homes, villages, and castles from favorite fairytales in this classic Disneyland ride. You’ll find Rapunzel’s Tower between the Patchwork Quilt and Toad Hall when the attraction reopens this winter. Here’s the announcement and concept art!

Rapunzel’s Tower Coming to Storybook Land Canal Boats

As shown in newly released concept art, the slender tower is marked by a shingled turret and several windows high above the ground. A meticulously cared for selection of flora completes the scene, creating a lush green oasis among the boulders surrounding Rapunzel’s home. 

Beyond the tower, multiple wanted posters seeking Flynn Rider dot the stone wall, and even in miniature, they still couldn’t get Flynn’s nose right. In fact, each poster has a different depiction of Flynn’s most difficult-to-capture feature.

A secluded dock with a boat inspired by the one from the film will sit at the edge of the water further down the canal. The dock is framed by a trail of twinkling lights winding up a trellis on the bridge, where the Casey Jr. Circus Train rumbles along.

As you float by this scene during the day, you’ll hear a charming arrangement of “When Will My Life Begin?” escaping from Rapunzel’s Tower, recalling afternoons of puzzles, darts and baking. Once dusk falls, “I See the Light” will play as you drift along the canal and watch the winking lights, reminiscent of the lanterns Rapunzel and Flynn Rider gazed at from their boat in the film. 

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

The holidays return to the Disneyland Resort on November 14th, and Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and some of their friends will have new costumes to celebrate the 70th Anniversary. Disneyland released more info this morning, along with concept art of the new costumes. Here’s a first look!

During the holiday season, some Disneyland Resort 70^th Celebration entertainment will continue to sparkle, so we hope you’ll celebrate the happiness we make together all season long. And you better not pout — Santa often stops around the resort to listen to your Christmas wishes, making appearances at both theme parks and the three Hotels of the Disneyland Resort.

As you stroll into Disneyland park, you may spot Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and some of their friends in sparkling new outfits. These designs are a “holiday spin” on their clothing from the 70^th Celebration. Shimmering greens, reds and golds steal the show, with 70^th nods throughout.

For more on the holiday season at Disneyland, check out the announcement from Disney.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

Well, the opening of Disneyland didn’t go smoothly 70 years ago, and neither has opening day for the all-new Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic. The show, Walt Disney – A Magical Life, has been interrupted multiple times per day today, its debut day. A new video posted to Instagram shows the Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic breaking down as it attempts to walk forward.

The Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic has been controversial for a number of reasons. When it was announced, the fan community discussed whether or not a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic should even be made. Imagineering said that they have no record of Walt ever saying that he didn’t want to be made into an Audio-Animatronic. Disney even got the blessing from (most) of Walt’s descendants.

With most of that controversy dying down, a new round of controversy started back up recently once the first photos of the Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic surfaced online. Many fans said that the Audio-Animatronic didn’t look like Walt. In-person reactions from invited media were nicer.

Today was the first day that guests were able to view the Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic, which debuted alongside the 70th Anniversary celebrations.

For more on the Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic, check out our earlier coverage below!

FIRST LOOK: Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic Coming to Disneyland

Disneyland has shared a first look at the Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic coming to Walt Disney – A Magical Life

blogmickey.com

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

Disneyland has shared a first look at the Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic coming to Disneyland this week. The all-new Audio-Animatronic is the first-ever Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic and it will debut to the public on July 17th as part of Walt Disney – A Magical Life. Here’s the announcement!

The 70th anniversary of Disneyland park offered us a great opportunity to remind guests of Walt Disney’s incredible story — told in his own words — in both film and through the magic of Audio-Animatronics, the art form he pioneered.

After exploring the lobby exhibits, you’ll step into the theater to view “Walt Disney – A Magical Life.” The show begins with a film adaptation of “One Man’s Dream,” narrated by Walt himself, which follows his life from early endeavors through his dreams for the future.

The finale of the show will raise the curtain on the first Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney ever created. Guests will discover him in a re-creation of his office at the Studio, where he’ll share a few stories and thoughts on his career and philosophy. Taken from recordings spanning decades, Walt’s words were seamlessly blended to create these “great moments” for the performance.

Of course, creating an Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney is an enormous responsibility, and one our Imagineering team took very seriously through extensive research and innovation … similar perhaps to the efforts Walt and his team took in creating the original figure of Abraham Lincoln decades ago.

From capturing the twinkle in his eyes to his expressive hands and eyebrows, the team pioneered numerous artistic and technological innovations to create the most lifelike performance of an Audio-Animatronics figure possible.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

Lillian Disney, wife of Walt Disney, was honored with a window on Main Street USA at Disneyland today, just days before the 70th Anniversary of the park. Receiving a window at a Disney theme park remains one of the highest honors at The Walt Disney Company. Here’s the announcement from Disneyland, and a look at the window.

Lillian Disney Main Street USA Window

Lillian Disney’s window can be found next to the Disney Showcase, overlooking Town Square in the northeast corner of the plaza. Here’s a look at the second-story window.

The window was dedicated at a private ceremony this morning. Today marks the 100th anniversary of Walt and Lillian’s wedding.

The balcony is adorned with a colorful array of flowers, a painting, and musical instruments.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

The Disneyland Resort has rolled out new dining search updates to its website, giving guests even more control over finding the right restaurant option. The update was first spotted by ThemeParkIQ. The update greatly improves dining availability information, offers a more granular time of day search, and more! In this article, we’ll take a look at the changes.

Dining Availability Calendar

Disney has wisely leveraged its theme park reservation calendar to now display dining availability for individual restaurants. In our screenshot below, you can see availability for the Blue Bayou Restaurant by date. A green dot indicates that there is availability, whereas the greyed-out circle indicates that no reservations are available.

Time Slider for Granular Searching

Another update made to the dining search page for the Disneyland website is a slider that allows you to pick a more specific time range for your dining reservation search. Previously, you would either by able to pick “all day” availability, or “morning”, “afternoon”, or “evening”. Now, you can pick specific hours that you’d like to search.

Date Range Searching

This is a feature that has been available for individual restaurants, but I’m not sure that it has previously been available for multiple restaurants at a time. Now, if you choose a date range and you don’t choose a specific restaurant, you will be presented with all relevant restaurants that match the date range and any other search criteria you may have entered.

More Obvious Location Filtering

I’m not sure if this was previously present before the updates, but you’ll be able to filter by location quite easily. While more granular filtering options are available under the “Filter” button, Disneyland has moved some of the top-level locations to the top of the page to allow guests to narrow their search even more.

The end result of these updates is more control and more relevant info at the fingertips of guests. This is a wonderful update that has built upon the already wonderful March 2024 update to the dining search system.

As of publish time, the dining search upgrades made to the Disneyland website are not available on the Walt Disney World website. It is unclear if the upgrades made to the Disneyland site will be integrated into the Walt Disney World website.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

Guests enjoying the Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite yesterday were treated to an extra-special surprise when Diego Luna, star of the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor made a surprise appearance. Here’s the announcement from Disney, along with some photos!

Andor’s Diego Luna Visits ‘Star Wars Nite’ at Disneyland

To celebrate May the 4th, Diego Luna (Cassian Andor), star of the critically acclaimed Disney+ series Andor, surprised fans earlier today during a special cavalcade up Main Street, U.S.A., at the Disneyland Resort during the separately ticketed Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite. The cavalcade featured Stormtroopers and imperial officers from the 501st Legion, as well as Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse bounding as beloved Star Wars droids, R2-D2 and BB-8, respectively.

Luna addressed the excited fans in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, reminiscing on his time as part of the Star Wars universe and highlighting the incredible reach of the franchise as well as the remarkable fans.

Guests were treated to a special projection show entitled, “Welcome to the Rebellion,” during which Sleeping Beauty Castle transformed into famous backdrops from across the galaxy. Beloved scenes and music from the Star Wars franchise came to life through innovative projection mapping intertwined with lighting effects, enthralling guests and transporting them to a galaxy far, far away.

For almost 50 years, the Star Wars franchise has captivated generations around the globe, creating a community of passionate, loyal, and one-of-a-kind fans who are always craving new ways to engage with the brand. Within Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, fans can embark on their own Star Wars adventure through groundbreaking technology and immersive storytelling.

During Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite, guests were able to extend their fandom with special entertainment, merchandise, food and beverage, as well as rarely seen characters, creating a one-of-a-kind experience that is uniquely Disney.

From the original films that first captured the hearts of fans around the world, to the new series that expand the universe to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, the entire library of the Star Wars universe is available to stream exclusively on Disney+. The final season of Andor – the series starring Diego Luna as Cassian Andor – is now streaming. The season unfolds over 12 episodes broken down into four chapters of three episodes each, with a new chapter debuting each week.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

Disneyland has announced that it will debut a new verse to the iconic “it’s a small world” song on July 17th. The new verse will be added to the attraction in honor of the late legendary composer Richard M. Sherman. This new verse is Sherman’s final contribution to Disney. Here’s the announcement from Disneyland:

Additionally, we are honored to share that we will be premiering this third and final verse in the “it’s a small world” attraction at Disneyland, beginning July 17. 

There is no word on whether or not the new verse will also debut at Walt Disney World.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

In an update, Disneyland has announced that the grand opening of Walt Disney – A Magical Life, will be delayed until July 17th to coincide with the 70th Anniversary of Disneyland. Disney had previously announced a May 16th debut date for the show, which will feature the first-ever Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney.

Walt Disney – A Magical Life Show Delayed Until July

With so much to enjoy prior to experiencing “Walt Disney – A Magical Life,” this attraction will now open alongside these new Main Street Opera House exhibits on July 17.

As you step into the theater, you’ll get to experience the incredible story of Walt Disney’s life. Through remastered footage and audio recordings, you’ll be taken on a cinematic journey that leads from Walt’s early endeavors to the bright lights of Los Angeles and beyond. And when the curtain rises, guests will be transported to Walt’s office. Through the magic of Audio-Animatronics storytelling that he helped pioneer, Walt will share some heartfelt stories and words of wisdom. 

After its initial run, “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” will play in rotation with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”

The exit lobby will preview projects and moments of how Disneyland will continue to move forward, as well as showcase how it has done so for decades.  

Imagineers are hard at work creating these experiences that will mark an incredible moment in 70 years of Disneyland history.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

Disneyland has announced its Season of the Force offerings, and the seasonal event includes the first-ever Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge projection show. Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga will debut on March 28th, and it’ll take guests on a storytelling adventure across the galaxy. Here are the announced details and concept art!

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Projection Show

In Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the new nightly projection show “Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga” will debut on March 28, taking guests on a storytelling adventure across the galaxy.

Stunning projection effects transform the spires of Batuu near the Millennium Falcon evoking memories of some of the greatest moments in galactic history as an iconic musical score, comprised of familiar themes heard throughout the films of the Skywalker saga, draws the audience into the legendary story of the Skywalkers.

There are no known plans to bring a projection show to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Disneyland will continue with the Skywalker storyline by introducing Luke Skywalker to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for the first time ever.

Joining other familiar encounters in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, for the first time, a shadowy visitor will appear on Batuu for a limited time. Wearing what seem to be Jedi robes, there are rumors it might be the legendary Luke Skywalker!

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

The Disneyland Resort has announced that it will soon offer the “Heroes Ticket” to eligible California firefighters as well as eligible Los Angeles-based law enforcement personnel and emergency medical technicians who helped combat the LA fires in January 2025. Here’s the announcement.

“We are inspired by the endless dedication and contributions of the heroes who battled the fires that took place in the LA area, and our gratitude for their service is immeasurable,” said Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock. “We hope these heroes can enjoy a memorable day with a loved one at our parks, because they certainly deserve it.” 

The Heroes Ticket, two complimentary One Day Park Hopper tickets, will be available to eligible California firefighters as well as eligible Los Angeles-based law enforcement personnel and emergency medical technicians who helped combat the LA fires in January 2025. The Heroes Ticket will also be available to eligible individuals from other departments that provided mutual aid assistance. The Heroes Ticket will be valid from May 5 – August 7, 2025, Mondays through Thursdays. A theme park reservation will be required and is subject to availability.

More detailed information, including eligibility and verification requirements, and how to register for this offer, will be communicated directly to qualifying fire, police and sheriff’s departments in April.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!