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Hong Kong Disneyland soft opening starting today

hongkong disneyland

It is being reported that Hong Kong Disneyland soft opening has started today.

According to Twitter User, @hkdl_of_fantasy, Hong Kong Disneyland is getting ready for its reopening by testing a soft opening with Cast Members.

Starting from May 19th – May 21st, Hong Kong Disneyland will be reopening to Cast Members only.

No official word has been posted on the Hong Kong Disneyland website as of yet.

Earlier this month Shanghai Disneyland reopened to guests, and Disney Fans here in the US can’t wait for Disney World & Disneyland to release info on when they will be opening!

Stay tuned to Chip and Co for more information.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Parks & Resorts, Hong Kong, Disney Parks, Disney theme parks, Disneyland, hong kong disneyland, Soft Opening

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How Meeting Mickey Mouse at Disney World is COMPLETELY Different Than It Used To Be!

Is there anything more quintessential on a Disney World trip than meeting Mickey Mouse? We’ll make the executive call: No, no there isn’t. ?

general

Mickey Mouse

You’ve been able to meet Mickey since the very earliest days of Disney World and it’s a tradition that will likely stand the test of time for years to come. Still, meeting Mickey used to be a VERY different experience. Scoring that hug from the Mouse has changed a lot over the years. Now, you’ll have some decisions to make if you want to schmooze with the Big Cheese.

Characters used to be free-roaming (believe it or not)!

Back in the opening months of Magic Kingdom, Disney characters used to roam the parks freely. Nowadays, seeing Mickey take a stroll down Main Street, U.S.A. might cause some serious traffic jams!

Still, characters remain somewhat free-roaming over in Disneyland, but Disney World characters are a little more (ok a LOT more) scheduled.

Meeting characters back in the day was a free-for-all!

To meet Mickey in Disney World today, you’ll need to head to an existing meet and greet location in the parks, or schedule a character meal. The good side of this is that these meetings are a lot more controlled than free-roaming. You can guarantee that precious face-to-face time with Mickey without having other guests clamoring for his attention too! On the other hand, you will have to pay for your experience — either with your time or money!

Now, meeting Mickey is a lot less random AND a lot less “free.”

If you’re looking to meet Mickey in present day, you have some options. You can choose to wait in a LONG line to meet the Mouse, spend one of your daily FastPasses, or book a character meal.

Meeting Mickey at a Meet and Greet

Let’s talk option one — meeting the Mouse in a meet and greet format. There is a Mickey meet and greet in every Disney World park. He meets at Town Square Theater in Magic Kingdom, in the theater in the Imagination Pavilion in Epcot, Adventurer’s Outpost in Animal Kingdom, and Mickey and Minnie Starring in Red Carpet Dreams in Hollywood Studios.

Mickey Meet and Greet

The meet and greets are free (with your park ticket, of course) but wait times can be over an hour and even spike above 90 minutes long at times. Whew! That’s a big chunk of your park day for a quick hug and a picture! So even though you’re not spending any extra cash, you’ll still “pay” with your time when you go the standby route!

Alternatively, you can snag a FastPass for the Mickey meet and greets in Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Just remember there’s currently no Fastpass option for the Epcot or Hollywood Studios meet and greets.

Mickey Meet and Greet

In this instance, you’ll be “paying” with one of your FastPasses. Since Magic Kingdom doesn’t have a tier system, you’ll be using up one of three potentially better-used FastPasses for a chance to briefly meet Mickey. This could work for you if meeting Mickey is a MUST for your family, but it could mean having to wait a couple of hours for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain, or any other ride you gave up using that FastPass on.

In Animal Kingdom, the Adventurer’s Outpost is a Tier 2 Fastpass so you’ll be passing up on a Fastpass for Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, or another popular attraction. But still, using your Fastpass in Animal Kingdom might be a better move than using one in Magic Kingdom since you can usually spot shorter waits for the Tier 2 attractions in this park.

Mickey Mouse

Whichever way you choose to handle your Mickey meet and greet, you’ll be spending coveted park time or FastPasses, so be wary!

Meeting Mickey at Character Dining

Instead, you could opt to spend your money and go the character dining route. Mickey meets at Chef Mickey’s in Disney’s Contemporary Resort, ‘Ohana breakfast in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Tusker House in Animal Kingdom, Topolino’s Terrace breakfast in Disney’s Riviera Resort, Garden Grill in Epcot, and a few other locations. Click here to check em all out!

Farmer Mickey

This option is great because you’re GUARANTEED time with Mickey AND other characters, a cute pic, and NO WAIT. Plus, you get to chow down while you’re at it. For us, food is always a plus. ?

On the other side of things, character dining tends to be expensive and a lot of times you might only get a quick hug and a pic before Mickey has to move on to another table.

Topolino’s Terrace Breakfast a la Art Characters

Plus in this case, you’re paying for the experience ON TOP of a park ticket (unless you dine in one of the resort restaurants where he meets). That can get pretty pricy! But hey, you gotta eat, right? So if you can factor into your budget a character meal, this is a great way to meet Mickey (and more!).

Meeting Mickey at Hard-Ticketed Events

There’s a third option to meeting Mickey as well, although this one is under special circumstances. Some of the After Hours events in the parks feature Mickey. Mickey met guests at the Hollywood Studios After Hours, the Animal Kingdom After Hours, and the Magic Kingdom After Hours (NOT Villains!) plus Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in the past.

Mickey Mouse

If you’re headed to one of these events make sure to check in advance whether or not Mickey will be there! Remember though, this one is probably going to cost you just as much, if not MORE than the other options. You’ll be paying to attend the hard-ticketed event AND you’ll have to wait in line once you get there. So this one is a combo of money and time. Still, it’s important to note that it’s an option if you ARE planning to get your party on.

So, what’s the best way to meet your favorite character?

These tips don’t ONLY apply to Mickey. You’ll pay with money, fastpasses, or park time to meet other members of the Sensational Six, the Seven Dwarfs (you can meet a couple at Storybook Dining at Artist Point or the whole gang at the Halloween and Christmas parties), Winnie the Pooh and friends (at some character meals or the holiday parties), and the Princesses too!

Wait Time to meet Anna and Elsa

That leaves us wondering, what’s the best way to meet your favorite character? Well, that depends on your family and your needs!

Wait in line for a meet and greet if…

  • You don’t mind taking the time to wait.
  • You’re willing to head to the park right when it opens or stay until it closes to get the shortest lines.
  • You’re really hoping to use those FastPasses for other attractions.

Get a FastPass to meet your favorite character if…

  • FastPass is an option for their meet and greet.
  • Meeting your fave character is a must.
  • You’re not bothered by losing out on other FastPasses.
  • You see a day-of FastPass for the meet and greet when you’re in the park.

Head to a character meal if…

  • You want to meet a bunch of characters all at once.
  • You really don’t want to wait in line.
  • You don’t mind spending the extra money for the experience.

Meet your favorite character at a hard-ticketed event if…

  • You’re looking to meet your chosen character in a special, seasonal outfit.
  • You’re hoping to meet a rare Disney character (like Jack and Sally at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party).
  • You’re already heading to a party and you’re looking to meet Mickey (or anyone else!) while you live it up!

So there you have it! We’ve laid out all the different ways that you can meet Mickey nowadays so that you can pick what’s best for YOUR trip!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, Contemporary Resort, Disney Entertainment, Disney News, disney parks, disney resorts, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Polynesian Resort, Riviera Resort, Walt Disney World, ‘Ohana, After Hours, after-hours event, Chef Mickey’s, Garden Grill, Hollywood and Vine, Mickey Character Meal, mickey meet and greet, Mickey Mouse, Mickey Mouse Character Meal, Mickey Mouse Meet and Greet, Minnie’s Seasonal Hollywood and Vine Lunch and Dinner, Topolino’s Terrace, Tusker House

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News: Disney Announces New Park Presidents and Josh D’Amaro As Chairman of Parks

We’ve seen a lot of Disney World president Josh D’Amaro over the past few weeks as he’s sent us some friendly messaging during the Disney World closure.

©Disney

Now, Josh D’Amaro is no longer leading Disney World. In a press release today, Disney announced its new leadership team, including D’Amaro moving into the position of Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products — the role previously held by the current CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Chapek.

The new position will take D’Amaro from overseeing the operations of Walt Disney World resort to overseeing the entirety of Disney’s travel and leisure businesses including all six international theme parks, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, and Adventures by Disney. He will also head all of Disney’s global consumer product operations including their licensing business, children’s print publisher, the Disney Store, and shopDisney.

@joshdamaro on Instagram

The Chairman position reports directly to the CEO, and Chapek commented on his happiness with D’Amaro filling his old role. Of the leadership shift, Chapek said, “I am certain he will take Disney’s Parks, Experiences and Products segment – home to some of our company’s most iconic and beloved businesses – to exciting new heights in the years to come.”

D’Amaro made a statement on his new position explaining, “I look forward to following [Chapek’s] record of driving innovation, value, and growth as we deliver unforgettable experiences for our guests. It is an incredible honor to lead our team of talented and dedicated cast members around the globe, who go above-and-beyond every single day. Even during this challenging time, their enthusiasm for what we do is unwavering, and my goal is to bring our cast members back to work as soon as possible so they can continue to create that magic.”

©Josh D’Amaro

D’Amaro isn’t the only one to receive a new position either. In fact, the new leadership team includes several new faces. Rebecca Campbell, previously the President of Disneyland, is moving into the position of Chairman for Direct-to-Consumer and International. She will oversee the company’s streaming businesses (Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, and Hotstar) as well as Disney’s International Channels, Fox Networks International, and Star India.

Replacing the two executives are Jeff Vahle, formerly the President of Disney Signature Experiences, as the new President of Walt Disney World and Ken Potrock, formerly the President of Consumer Products, as the new President of Disneyland.

Rebecca Campbell ©Disney

Other new appointments on the leadership team include Kareem Daniel (former President of Walt Disney Imagineering Operations/Product Creation/Publishing/Games) replacing Potrock as the President of Consumer Products, Games and Publishing and Thomas Mazloum (former Senior Vice President of Resort and Transportation Operations at Disney World) replacing Vahle as the President of Disney Signature Experiences.

Sleeping Beauty Castle

We will be keeping a close eye out for statements from the new executive team and will report in on any developments as the team settles into their new roles.

What do you think of the new leadership appointments? Tell us in the comments! 

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, disney parks, Disney+, Featured, News, bob chapek, Chairman Direct-to-Consumer and Internional, Chairman of Disney Parks Experiences and Products, disney ceo, disney executives, disney world president, disneyland president, josh d’amaro, Leadership Team, Rebecca Campbell, the walt disney company, Walt disney Company Leadership Team

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#DisneyMagicMoments: Check Out This Sunrise Time-Lapse from Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris

There’s nothing quite as magical as a Disney Parks castle! So few guests have the chance to watch the sun rise over the majestic spires of Disneyland Paris’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, but today’s edition of #DisneyMagicMoments brings you just that. And thanks to a little extra pixie dust, you can watch the entire sunrise in 90 seconds flat!

From Disneyland Paris to all of our Disney Parks around the world, keep your eyes on the horizon for our next sunrise! And remember, “They say if you dream a thing more than once, it’s sure to come true.”

We have so many more #DisneyMagicMoments in store right here on the Disney Parks Blog.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com